I’ve always heard that exercising first thing in the morning is ideal, but others say a

Let’s get this out of the way first: The best time to work out is whenever you can. We don’t all have schedules that allow for a 90-minute workout, green smoothies with . If you work out first thing in the morning, you can’t skip it in the evening because duties pile up. 

May improve your sleep cycle: Waking up early might be difficult at first, but research suggests that a , an , but working out at night can really help you blow off some steam. The surge of endorphins you get during and after exercise can be a sweet nightcap that helps you wind down before bed. 

Might help replace bad habits: If you have some evening or nighttime habits you want to replace — like snacking, drinking, smoking or watching too much TV — allow exercise to swoop in and take their place. Once you get into the practice of exercising at night, you might find yourself surprised that you don’t even miss your old habits. 

Downsides to afternoon and evening workouts

The above benefits to afternoon and evening workouts might automatically tempt you to designate the latter part of the day to exercise, but you should consider a couple of potential downsides, too. 

Might interfere with sleep: The blanket statement that exercising at night is detrimental to sleep is a myth. That’s not true for everyone — scientists have found that exercising at night may have no effects on sleep at all, and some may even get a better night’s sleep — but some people might experience jitters if they work out too close to bedtime. This generally only applies to intense exercise, like CrossFit or HIIT, as yoga, stretching and other gentle exercises can actually improve your sleep when performed before bed.

May cause problems with consistency: If you’re like many people, exercising at night may not work for you simply because you are too tired after a long day. Afternoon and evening workouts might interfere with daily responsibilities, especially if things tend to pile up during the day. If that sounds like you, try shifting your daily routine to fit in a short morning workout.