What is the best time of the day to do cardio? Here's what we know

The paradox of today’s fast-paced life is that although we’re almost always hustling, we also need to catch up to our daily workout to keep up with a healthy lifestyle. As they say, there is no better way to keep up with a healthy body than to get your blood pumping! And there is hardly any better way than to sign up for some cardiovascular exercises in order to do so. But, do you know, what is the best time for you to get on that running mill?


What is Cardio ?

‘Cardio’, short for cardiovascular exercise, comes from the Greek word ‘kardía’, which means heart. Simply put, exercise typically counts as cardio if it involves intentional coordinated physical actions that raise your heart rate for an extended period of time. Cardio exercise strains your body’s cardiovascular system, elevating your heart rate and requiring your body to pump blood efficiently. As a result, cardio can lead to improved overall health in the long term.

A good cardiovascular workout will have you consistently breathing faster than you would while resting, which leads you to have more oxygen in your blood for your heart to pump to the rest of your body. Cardio encompasses any exercise—such as running, cycling , or dancing—that elevates your heart rate. Cardio is also considered aerobic exercise, meaning it demands elevated oxygen flow, which causes you to breathe harder. Cardio is essential if you want to burn calories, strengthen your heart and lungs, and be healthier overall.

Benefits of Cardio: When part of an overall heart-healthy lifestyle, not only can regular cardio exercise lead to a decrease in your resting blood pressure and heart rate, but these basic changes can also mean your heart doesn’t have to work unnecessarily hard all of the time, With an established cardio plan that fits into your lifestyle, you might experience health benefits, such as:

Heart health: This includes reduced blood pressure, a lower risk of heart disease, and overall improved heart health.

Longevity: Some scientists assert that regular cardiovascular exercise can prolong your life. By making your heart and lungs stronger, you improve your overall fitness levels and cardiovascular health—this means your heart has a lower measure of beats per minute ( BPM ) than it would if you otherwise led a sedentary lifestyle), which suggests your body has an improved ability to handle different stressors.

Weight loss: Those who maintain a long-term, regular cardio routine might also experience weight loss, since your body uses your body fat as energy while you work out, burning off body weight in the process.

Mental health: There are emotional and mental benefits to doing regular cardio. Working out improves blood flow throughout your body, including in your brain, which can improve your cognitive functions. Working out also releases endorphins—naturally occurring chemicals in your body that can make you feel good.

Best time for Cardio: The best time for a cardio workout depends on your goals, lifestyle, and other factors, such as your energy levels, sleep quality, and temperature.

Morning cardio can improve mood and energy, and is less strenuous than weight lifting. However, morning workouts may not be ideal for people who work late or stay up late.

Afternoon cardio can help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease or early death.

Evening cardio can increase upper body muscle strength, power, and endurance, and improve mood.

However, a recent study in Sports Medicine analysed the difference between doing cardio before or after workout time and its effects on endurance, strength and recovery. The results showed that a morning cardio session with strength training later on was best for improving your fitness.

Different types of Cardio: There are varied exercises that pass as cardio workouts, but below are the most common ones:

Power walking: Work the largest muscle groups in your body (your glutes and other muscles in your legs) by briskly walking. You must move fast enough (covering about three miles per hour) for walking to qualify as moderate exercise.

Cycling: Cycling or biking exercises help boost muscles in your legs, glutes, and hips. You can do it anywhere your bike can go or on a stationary bike in your home.

Climbing: With the proper safety gear, you can practice rock climbing in the wild or in a gym. There are even climbing machines that work similarly to a treadmill .

Burpees : Burpees are a full-body exercise that raise your heart rate effectively. Start in a standing position, then squat down and place your hands flat on the ground. Hop your legs back so you’re in a push-up stance. Do a push-up, then hop back into a squat. Stand up and repeat. Learn more about how to properly do burpees here.

Circuit training: The premise of circuit training is to combine strength training and cardio into one routine. Talk to a personal trainer at your local gym to build one of these routines.

Elliptical: An elliptical trainer is a popular piece of gym equipment that requires you to move your legs back and forth as though you’re skiing or skating. Exercise on an elliptical machine is low-impact, and many users can watch TV or read a book while using this equipment.

High-intensity interval training: Also called HIIT , this type of training involves alternating short bursts of exercise with brief periods of rest. You do them in 30-second intervals—for example, 20 seconds of high-intensity training followed by 10 seconds of rest—before the cycle repeats.

Jumping jacks: To perform a jumping jack, stand with your feet together and your hands at your sides. Jump up while simultaneously spreading your legs shoulder-width apart and reaching your arms up until they touch above your head. Now jump again to bring your feet back together and your arms back down to your sides. That concludes one jumping jack. Learn more about jumping jacks here.

Jumping rope: The only thing you need to jump rope is the rope itself. Hold one end of the rope in each hand and rotate it in an arc over your head—forward or backward, since either direction is acceptable. Jump over the rope as it sweeps close to the ground and repeat, as the rope circles underneath you and over your head in a circular movement. You can practice jumping rope with the rope moving in one particular direction, then try perfecting your technique with the rope moving in the opposite direction.

Lunges: To work out your glutes while elevating your heart rate, you can perform forward or backward lunges. To execute a backward lunge, place your hands on your hips and stand with your feet as wide as your hips. Keeping your shoulders and hips square, step backward with your right leg so that both of your knees bend in 90-degree angles and your right knee lightly grazes the ground. Return to your original standing position and then repeat by stepping backward with your left leg.

Push-ups: A basic push-up involves moving from the ground into an extended-arm plank position and then back down again. Push-ups work your arms, shoulders, core (abdomen), and other muscles. Learn how to properly do push-ups here.

Rowing machine: Many gyms feature rowing machines, but models are available for private home use, too. Rowing is a good exercise if you are looking for a low-impact activity since it requires no jumping or other explosive movements.