Is it possible to exercise before bed: benefit or harm?

Is it possible to do exercises in the evening?

All people talk about is that morning exercises will help you wake up quickly, recharge your batteries for the whole day, and lift your spirits.
But all people are different, so not all of us are ready for this. Therefore, the question arises: is it necessary to do exercises in the morning? Maybe it can be done in the evening? Let's look at the pros and cons. If you ask fitness trainers and doctors when it is better to engage in physical activity - in the morning or in the evening - none of them will give a definite answer. Some will say that exercise is beneficial in the morning, while others will advocate doing it in the evening. One thing is certain: by doing exercises in the morning, you burn accumulated fat, and in the evening, you speed up your metabolism.

Exercise in the morning: arguments “FOR”

1. According to a recent study by scientists, people who jog in the morning have a much lower appetite during the day than those who jog in the evening. And all because the hormone responsible for appetite is produced in smaller quantities during regular physical activity in the morning.

2. Why do fitness trainers say that you need to train in the gym for at least 40 minutes to achieve a “weight loss” effect? Because during physical activity, the body uses its reserves of carbohydrates for the first 20 minutes, and only then “gets” energy from fat reserves. Therefore, you need to move actively for at least 40 minutes in order to get at least a minimal effect after several sessions. But at the same time, if you plan to work out in the gym in the morning, then only 20-30 minutes will be enough for you. The fat burning effect will be the same as with a long workout in the afternoon. This happens because the human body spends energy before 17.00, and after this time it accumulates what it spent during the day.

3. Also, during morning exercises, the risk of injury is significantly reduced, since the body quickly sheds fatigue in the morning. Also, the amount of microtrauma to muscle fibers that can occur during training is much lower in the morning.

Exercising in the morning: arguments “AGAINST”

1. Some doctors say that physical activity in the morning is undesirable. The main reason is thick blood at this time. Approximately 8 hours before physical activity, a person usually does not consume liquids, and in the morning he also goes to the toilet. And once the fluid was gone, the blood became thicker. Because of this, it is more difficult for the heart to move it through the vessels. (To avoid this, drink 1-2 glasses of water 5-10 minutes before charging).

2. Rarely do any of us jump up in the early morning invigorated. Usually the human body remains half asleep for about 30 minutes. At the same time, the blood circulates at a slow pace, the lungs are narrowed, and the nervous system is inhibited. Active movements are contraindicated at this time. However, if you start exercising with a light warm-up, gradually increasing the load, then nothing bad will happen.

Exercises in the evening: arguments “FOR”

1. In the evening, the rule works: “A tasty bun, eaten in the evening, lingers for 5 minutes in the mouth, for half an hour in the stomach and for the rest of its life in the waist.” But in the evening, moderate physical activity will help speed up your metabolism.

2. After an evening workout, the body begins to consume fat deposits during sleep. This lasts for about 12 hours. This means that the body begins to lose weight.

Exercises in the evening: arguments “AGAINST”

1. After an intense evening workout, the body requires replenishment of expended energy, which means you will want to eat. But experts say this is due to improper load distribution. That's why they always emphasize that you need to exercise in moderation!

2. Intense physical activity interferes with restful sleep. Here, too, it is important to observe moderation; it is advisable not to exercise 3 hours before bedtime.

As you can see, both morning and evening exercise have both their pros and cons. Therefore, you need to proceed from your own capabilities and needs of the body, and, of course, from your work schedule.

Harm to men and women

The benefits and harms of push-ups, fortunately, are not comparable. Look at the impressive lists given in the previous sections. However, to complete the picture, we will list below in which cases push-ups can be harmful to health:

1. If an athlete does push-ups while in a state in which any, or this particular, physical activity is contraindicated. Remember, training will not have any benefit if you are feeling unwell.
2. If there is a joint injury, especially the wrist;
3. For diseases of the spine;
4. If you are overweight, you should do push-ups with increased caution, as this increases the risk of injury;

In general, the benefits of push-ups are much greater than the harm, but the athlete must follow the execution technique and never neglect the warm-up. With a competent and comprehensive approach, the athlete will receive all possible benefits and will not harm himself in any way.

Arguments for"

The benefits of exercising, including in the evening, are obvious:

• The body becomes more energetic.
• The slow phase of sleep increases, during which a person has time to regain strength.
• Over time, waking up becomes easier.
• During evening classes, the body “resets” negative energy associated with stress and psycho-emotional disorders.

That is, training before bed provides pleasant relaxation: the body gets tired, so at night a person goes to sleep faster and feels refreshed the next morning. However, this rule only works if you exercise 3-4 hours before falling asleep, and not a few minutes.

Arguments against"

If you exercise before bed, it also has its downsides:

1. By the evening, a person is tired after a working day, his physical and emotional strength is already running out. Heavy loads and intense training will be inappropriate. As a result, a person immediately wants to sleep after training, which can lead to disruption of the natural biological rhythm.
2. A disorder in the internal clock leads to the fact that the student may fall asleep after classes, and also often wants to sleep during the day.
3. In the evening hours and at night, metabolic processes begin to decrease, and if you play sports, they, on the contrary, become more active.
4. As a result, the person begins to produce the appropriate hormones, which cause the effect of wakefulness, as if it were morning. Therefore, falling asleep after intense exercise in the evening, even 3 hours before going to bed, is problematic. Poor sleep after exercise is observed especially often in people who are accustomed to falling asleep and waking up early, the so-called “larks.”
5. Another argument against is the peculiarities of building muscle mass. If you exercise in the first half of the day, muscle growth processes occur faster. By the evening they have time to rest, which ensures recovery.

Optimal time for sports activities

Many scientific studies have been and are being conducted regarding the selection of the optimal time for physical education, fitness and professional sports. They showed that the approach must take into account three factors at once:

• load intensity;
• individual characteristics of the body;
• purpose of the lesson.

For each person, the norms of physical activity and sleep duration are individual. Some people exercise in the morning, which makes them feel more energetic, while others do it in the evening. However, in any case, you need to understand:

1. In the evening hours, it is harmful to engage in weightlifting and other sports that put a lot of stress on the body.
2. Since it is undesirable to exercise before bed, after evening exercise you should do a set of relaxing exercises: walking, yoga, light jogging, stretching, free swimming in the pool, etc.
3. In the morning, they do useful exercises that help invigorate the body. Therefore, doing gymnastics after waking up is normal, but without heavy loads.

Running and athletics

Running exercises in the morning, exercises and other exercises that do not overload the body have an invigorating effect. A light jog combined with warm-up movements and pull-ups on the horizontal bar is allowed both in the morning and in the evening. It is appropriate to pump up your abs, do push-ups and do other similar exercises. It is useful to pay attention to the following tips:

• It is harmful to run immediately after waking up, because... the body should adjust within 30-40 minutes.
• in the first half of the day the time is from 6 to 7 and from 11 to 12 o'clock. The main goal of running is to awaken and energize the body.
• In the evening they run from 19 to 20 hours. Exercise allows you to relieve stress, tension from the day and burn calories.

At the same time, it is not recommended to engage in running sports too late (after 20 hours), since due to the increased load, the body does not have time to fully rest and get ready for sleep.

Another important topic relates to whether it is possible to train at night. There are several different, including opposing, answers. However, it is important to understand that at night the natural human biorhythm prepares the body for sleep. Therefore, constantly exercising at night is a bad decision.

Power training

The situation is similar with strength training (weightlifting, bodybuilding, etc.). Since such sports involve a heavy load on the body, exercise in the evening or especially before bedtime has a harmful effect in terms of falling asleep.

Another negative aspect of evening training is that at this time fat is burned ineffectively, and weight loss will be minimal. The reason is that food comes in during lunch and sugar is burned only after 4-5 hours. Therefore, the body first spends it and then extracts energy from its own fat reserves.

Doing gentle exercise before bed is beneficial because it gives your body time to relax and become tired, making it easier to fall asleep. Light bends forward, twisting, longitudinal bends and other types of movements help relieve fatigue from the spine and muscles of the body. It is optimal to do them an hour before going to bed.

Cardio exercises

Cardio training involves intense aerobic exercise that strengthens the heart muscle and activates metabolic processes. The corresponding chemical reactions begin approximately 40-50 minutes after the start of the workout, so cardio takes an hour or more. During classes, they especially carefully monitor the pulse, the value of which is used to determine the calories burned.

The optimal time for classes is the morning (from 6 to 11). The body burns fats because the new food has not yet arrived in large quantities (before lunch). The heart muscle is also strengthened (due to moderate exercise). If you exercise in the evening, and especially before bedtime (after 20-21 hours), an influx of vivacity occurs, and it becomes difficult to fall asleep.

The best time for training depending on the biological rhythm

The cycle of active wakefulness, rest, sleep is a person’s internal biorhythms, which are synchronized with external ones: the change of day and night. There are structures in the brain - the pineal gland and the hypothalamus - that control the change of processes.

• Around 5 am, adrenaline and cortisol begin to enter the bloodstream (hormones that stimulate the nervous system; there are a lot of them during stress). The sympathetic nervous system is activated, the person wakes up.
• The period 9.00-11.00 is the peak of wakefulness, a fruitful time for sports, work, and any activity.
• After 12.00 – decrease in brain activity.
• 13.00-15.00 – decline in the level of stimulant hormones, rest is needed.

• From 16.00 there is a second peak of activity. The optimal time to train is 16.00-18.00.
• From 19.00 the sleep hormone melatonin begins to be produced.
• At 22.00 – the beginning of bedtime. The parasympathetic nervous system is activated. The body is recovering.

We also recommend that you read the article: Features of sleep during pregnancy

The above time frames are typical for “pigeons,” the predominant chronotype among the population – 60% of them. There are also “night owls” and “larks”, of which 20% each. Who will be who is determined at the level of genetics.

It is optimal to organize sports activities during the peaks of your activity. Listen to your biological clock. This approach is used in Eastern medicine, where physical activity is recommended when you feel a surge of strength. The time of day does not matter.

TOP 5 tips for proper nutrition before bed

The beneficial effect of training is neutralized if a person eats incorrectly. Here are 5 simple tips for those who play sports to remember:

1. It is allowed to eat foods high in protein - dietary meat of boiled chicken, turkey, veal, as well as seafood.
2. Dairy products – low-fat kefir, cottage cheese, yogurt and cheeses – strengthen bones and muscles.
3. Among the drinks, weak herbal teas (preferably green) are suitable.
4. It is undesirable to consume any sweets and any fatty foods.
5. Among the drinks prohibited are coffee, black tea, cocoa, and alcohol.

In this case, you should remember the general rule: eating is not advisable 4 hours before going to bed. The digestive system must have time to absorb the incoming food, otherwise at night the stomach and intestines will not be able to fully recover.

Five recommended exercises before bed

Relaxing exercise can be part of your pre-bed ritual. To practice with pleasure, they develop their own complex, taking into account possible contraindications. You can take the following types of exercises as a basis (they are performed on the floor, on a mat):

1. Lie on your back, bend your knees at a right angle and bring them so as to touch your chest closely. Hands reach to the toes to feel pleasant relaxation.
2. Continuing to lie on your back, place your feet firmly on the floor; arms lie along the body. The pelvis is gradually raised above the surface, pulled as high as possible, held in this position and returned.
3. Sit in the lotus position on a small pillow. The knees diverge as wide as possible. Place your right hand on the floor, bend to the right, and take your left hand as high as possible. Then repeat on the other side.
4. Continuing to sit in the lotus position, make turns left and right. The movements are slow, as if the person wants to see an object behind.
5. Stand on the mat, slightly bend your knees and group yourself, pressing your chest to your legs as much as possible. Hands hug each other. At the same time, you should not strain your abdominal or chest muscles.

Is it possible to exercise before bed and what do experts recommend?

Sports exercises immediately before going to bed are harmful to the body.
But a little physical activity two to three hours before bedtime will not only not hurt, but will also be beneficial. In the afternoon, the number of calories burned increases, body temperature rises, and metabolism increases. This improves muscle flexibility and elasticity. They become more mobile and the risk of injury decreases.

But you should adhere to certain rules:

1. After active physical exercise, it is advisable to take a leisurely walk in the park. Fresh air and a calm environment will help you relax and give your body and brain a chance to rest.
2. Those who add sports nutrition to their diet are advised to avoid taking these supplements before bed. The energy substances contained in some sports cocktails act as a stimulant and make it difficult to fall asleep.
3. A hot bath will help relieve fatigue and calm the nervous system.

Half an hour before going to bed, it is recommended to perform simple exercises: stretching, squats. Abdominal pumping will not harm healthy sleep. Warm up muscles will allow you to relax after a hard day.

You can develop your own enjoyable exercises.

The following exercises can serve as their basis:

• lying on your back, bend your knees and press them to your chest. At the same time, try to reach your toes with your hands;
• sit in lotus position with your knees spread apart. Keeping your right hand on the floor, bend to the right, stretching your left arm up. The movement is repeated in the same way on the other side.
• sitting in the same position, slowly turn to the right and left.

Such a small exercise will not have a negative impact on the quality of sleep. Half an hour after light physical exercise, you can go to bed.

Human biorhythms are purely individual. For those who are used to going to bed very late, you can extend the start time of sports activities to 21-22 hours. But, in any case, it is advisable to avoid exhausting exercises, replacing them with easier ones.

Experts recommend adhering to a clear schedule for starting training so that the body can adapt to a certain rhythm.

Thus, there is no need to categorically refuse evening workouts. Sports activities are necessary for every person, especially those leading a sedentary lifestyle.

When practicing evening exercise, the main thing is to adhere to the basic rules - regularity and moderation. This will help the body become stronger, healthier and fall asleep without difficulty.

Is it possible to exercise at night?

How to do evening workouts correctly?

Evening exercises for weight loss have a number of simple rules, compliance with which will allow you to achieve your desired results in a shorter time:

It is necessary to eat food an hour before the start of classes; after exercise, you can eat 2 hours later, so that the body uses the already accumulated reserves, and not the energy from incoming food;

Photo: When can you eat in the evening after exercise?

• The duration of charging depends on its intensity. If you use cardio exercises with minimal rest, then the charging time is 15 minutes. If you choose a more measured pace with less complex exercises, then the duration of the workout is doubled;
• perform the selected complex daily. At first you may feel tired, but you must endure the painful syndrome. Such discomfort will not bother you in the future;
• When choosing exercises, give preference to such complexes that work out problem areas as much as possible. Do not forget that any complex must be changed from time to time in order to prevent the body from getting used to the stress;
• In order to achieve your goal, you need not only to do gymnastics, but also to properly adjust your diet. Give preference to foods that are low in calories but rich in nutrients. Of course, you will have to forget about such “pranks” as chips, cookies and chocolate.


Photo: Evening exercises

100 push-ups program

This program will help you reach your desired goal of 100 push-ups. In addition to following the program, you need to eat right and engage in additional physical activity (running, stretching, team sports).

Be sure to warm up and stretch before each workout. Particular attention is paid to the shoulder girdle and joints. Don't quit what you started halfway.

If you feel that you don’t have the strength to train further, reduce the number of push-ups to the norm that will be comfortable for you and continue to increase it.

So, an approximate workout for a month:

Recommended set of exercises in the evening

For arms and back

A classic exercise for strengthening arm muscles is push-ups; it is recommended to perform the complex in 3 sets of 15 times. An alternative activity is to stand against a wall with your elbows and sacrum touching it. Raise your arms as high as possible, try to make movements smooth and measured so as not to pull the muscles. We fix our hands at the highest point for 10 seconds and lower them again.

Photo: Push-ups

Exercises for warming up the back will be useful not only for adults; they are great for children, especially if the child spends a lot of time at a desk or table. To perform, you need to lie on the floor, bend your knees. We put our hands on the back of our heads. Stretch your head toward your stomach until you feel tension in your back or neck.

For the stomach and sides

These exercises will help you say goodbye to loose skin and unsightly folds. Classes will give elasticity and the coveted plane in problem areas. A useful abdominal exercise is the following: lie on the floor, legs straight, pressed to the ground. We place our hands on our head and lift our torso off the floor, straining our abs as much as possible.

Tension on the abdominal area is exerted by alternately raising and lowering the legs; to do this, you need to take a position lying on your back. In this case, the heels should not touch the floor, due to which the abdominal muscles will be properly tensed. Lie on your stomach, at the same time raise your arms and legs in the air, fix the position. We relax the body and raise the limbs to the top again.

Lie down on the floor, raise your straight left leg at an angle of 30 degrees while simultaneously raising your right shoulder blade. We lower the body to the starting position and perform the exercise for the second leg and shoulder blade. This will make the stomach flatter and remove the sides.

Photo: Exercises for losing weight on the sides at home

A good exercise is the plank. To perform it, you need to take a position similar to a push-up. Bend your arms at the elbows, your elbows are on the floor, your feet are on your toes, the whole body looks like a straight line, do not bend your stomach. The exercise is complex and allows you to tone your entire body.

For legs

The optimal exercise for correcting the hips and legs area is squats; you need to perform the exercise as if there was a chair behind you that you should sit on. Lunges have a good effect on the problem area; you can use dumbbells when performing the exercise.

Lie on the floor sideways, bend your lower leg and lift your upper leg as high as possible. The hand supports the head. A reverse bridge will help tone your legs. The exercise is performed lying on the floor, press your shoulders to the ground, legs bent at the knees, lift your pelvis as high as possible. Then we return to the starting position.

100 push-ups program

31 August 2020 Admin

An effective training program that can strengthen the pectoral muscles and create an athletic torso in 6 weeks, increasing the number of push-ups to 100 times.

Push-ups are one of the most exercises that can be done anywhere, they are not only easy to do, but also effective for strengthening the muscles of the chest, shoulder girdle and torso. But don’t think that it can be done haphazardly; the final result depends on the correct execution. The given program of 100 push-ups will help you achieve your ultimate goal.

The main rules when performing push-ups will be the following points:

1) To pump up the pectoral muscles well, make sure that when lowering your torso, your elbows move to the sides; if you press them to your torso, the load will move to the triceps and the chest will not receive proper training.

2) Don’t try to trick yourself, you need to go down quite low, there should be at least 10 cm from your chest to the floor. If you served in the army, you know that a fist should be placed between the floor and the chest.

3) The torso from shoulders to heels should be level, do not stick your butt up and do not bend your lower back, this way, of course, you will make push-ups easier for yourself, but also reduce the usefulness and effectiveness of the exercise.

4) Don’t forget to breathe correctly, so that your breathing doesn’t get lost and shortness of breath doesn’t appear in the middle of the exercise, you need to inhale while relaxing when lowering, exhale while trying to rise, try to inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. This is especially important outside and in the cold season, so that the air enters the lungs clean of dust and already warm.

5) If at the end of the program you have completed 100 push-ups, make life more difficult for yourself and further increase your stamina and chest development by wearing a backpack with bottles of water or a bag of sand.

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