Exercise & Sports / Question
Published: June 3, 2000
Dear TeenHealthFX,
When is the best time to exercise during the day, morning, or nighttime?
Signed: Best Time To Exercise
Dear Best Time To Exercise,
The best time to exercise is purely a personal decision. TeenHealthFX recommends that you exercise at a time when it is easily fit in to your schedule. This helps you to exercise consistently and on a regularly scheduled basis. Also, it is important to do an exercise that you enjoy and at a time when it is most enjoyable to you. This provides for fun and consistency. If a person is exercising at a time of day that is not good for them and doing what they do not like, they most likely will not continue and stop such a healthy habit.
All this said: For teens, the experts recommend right after school to be the best time. The reasoning behind this is that after a long day of mental work, you need a break and a release of all the tension. Physical activity is easy to fit in right after school and provides a good balance to you. Also, exercise can give you a burst of energy to get you through an evening of homework and social activities.
No discussion of exercise would be complete without some general guidelines:
- Talk to a doctor, coach, exercise trainer or gym teacher about a healthy exercise plan for you. Always get medical clearance first.
- Warm up each time you exercise
- Do not eat a large meal within one hour of exercise
- Do aerobic activity 2 - 3 times a week
- Do strength training 2 - 3 times a week
- Alternate between aerobics and strength training.
- Eat healthy - Try five small meals a day using the food pyramid (Each meal should contain Complex Carbohydrates, Protein and Roughage)
Some more thoughts on exercise: TeenHealthFX often hears from people that they exercise at night. This may not be the best idea because exercising right before bed may keep you up at night (remember, it gives you energy). Another common thought is that there are better times to exercise to burn fat. This has not been proven. Some experts say the best time to burn fat is with an early morning exercise routine on a relatively empty stomach. This said, burning fat should not be a goal for teenagers unless recommended by their doctor.
If you have any concerns about your eating and exercise habits or you are concerned about how you look and feel, talk to your doctor about it. He/she may want you to see a nutritionist for more information. Keep in mind that the goal should be to tone your body through exercise and eating healthy.
Signed: TeenHealthFX
A comprehensive review of pediatric trials conducted between 1988 and 2006 suggests that the benefits of antidepressant medications likely outweigh their risks to children and adolescents with major depressive and anxiety disorders.
