Finer Points Living With Diabetes What is the best time of day to exercise?
What is the best time of day to exercise?
Exercise is good anytime of the day. I have read that the morning may be best, especially for people with diabetes. It jump-starts your metabolism to more effectively burn calories and uses the body’s glucose. From what I understand, those effects last throughout the entire day! Other advantages of morning exercise are fewer distractions before the day’s commitments and it gives a feeling of physical and mental energy for hours.
Keep in mind that every situation and person is different. And for every advantage there may be disadvantages. Research on lung function, body rhythms, temperature, and hormone says to exercise around 6 PM. Many folks can more easily schedule exercise during the day when they have free time such as at lunch or break time.
To another point, people with diabetes, especially on insulin, should always check their blood sugar levels before and after exercise to prevent becoming hypoglycemic. This would be my standard practice regardless of the time of day.