Every gym-goer at one point in their life has tried waking up before the sun rises to get that morning workout in. It feels like a necessary evil; that somehow it’ll be better, or you’ll see more progress, or you’ll even feel better throughout the day. Morning workouts often are less of a choice and more of something that’s done as the schedule allows. As a morning gym-goer myself, I can admit that I’m exhausted even as I start my first sets. Is it worth it to hold off and go later? Are evening workouts being slept on entirely?
Even with my love-hate relationship with morning workouts, I still wouldn’t trade them for evening ones, and I’ll break it down with my pro/con list. For a morning workout:
- Pro: You get to start your day by getting active.
- Con: If you’re me, you will be absolutely drenched in sweat by the end.
- Pro: If it’s a college gym, there’s probably not too many other people there that early.
- Con: If you have to be somewhere after, it’s a pain to change and get ready in the gym bathroom.
- Pro: It wakes you up better than coffee.
For me, the pros outweigh the cons. I really do hate fixing my sweaty hair in the bathroom mirror, but it’s the price I’m willing to pay to get a good workout in. I’m also the type that is most productive in the morning/afternoon, and that includes my gym habits, so it feels like I have to go in the morning if I actually want to workout. I definitely don’t want to after a full day of classes. Back in freshman year, I did have a habit of working out at night, and here’s what I remember about it:
- Pro: De-stress after a long day of class with nowhere to be after
- Con: The gym is packed with everyone else who thinks the same way
- Pro: Get to come home to shower and change
- Con: Already tired from the day
- Con: The walk back home is not fun
Seriously, the walk back to Ravenhill side was so rough freshman year. Imagine hitting legs really hard after having four classes, and then having to trek a mile back to take a shower in a communal bathroom. At least morning workouts can create momentum to get through the day, but after a night workout, it’s like all my energy would just seep out of me.
There are other times of day besides early morning and late at night, but those are even tougher to pull off as a college student. Break period is a huge no because the entire student population flocks to the gym then. If you show up too late in the morning, you’ll find all of the sports teams doing their workouts. My schedule won’t allow it this year, but I went at 10 am a couple of times and it was a great balance between early morning and afternoon.
So what’s the verdict? It’s different for everyone, but I still love my mornings at the gym. Getting through the warmup is tough, but once the grogginess is shaken off, I really feel like my workout is at its best. All workout times have their good reasons though, so my only piece of advice is to keep doing what works for you; that’s the way that’s sure to show results.