Getting yourself to the Cathedral of Sweat after work can be a tall order. With the couch or bed calling your name, temptations of Netflix and late night munchies are often much stronger than the desire to hit the weights. All obvious reasons to dread working out at night aside, it can actually be beneficial to exercise after the sun’s gone down. Benefits like improved brain function don’t just stop because it’s after 5 p.m. So, if you’re struggling through your morning sweat session, consider these five benefits of exercising at night.

1. You’ll build muscle fast exercising at night

If your goal is to tone up, it may be best to do it shortly before you turn in. High levels of cortisol in the morning may actually hinder muscle growth, fluctuations of hormone levels during the day can actually benefit muscle development later in the day. 

2. You won’t go to sleep feeling stuffed

It’s never a good feeling to have a huge meal late at night, only to go to bed feeling uncomfortably full. One way to help prevent this? Working out at night. In addition to whipping your metabolism into shape, exercising also plays a role in determining your intake. Have you noticed that you aren’t that hungry after completing a workout? That being said, you need to replenish your stores of glycogen, electrolytes, and fluids. The evening workout can help curb those late night cravings and stay on track with your meal plan!  If late night snacking is your downfall mix it up with an evening class. 

3. You’ll work out longer

Everyone has days where they’re just not feeling it, but there’s good news, muscular function and strength peak in the evening hours, enabling you to work out longer than you may otherwise would at another time of day. This is a small example, but it makes sense when you consider how drowsy many of us feel upon waking. Exercising at night also means there’s no concern of being pressed for time or missing any meetings. So why not stay for the double? 

4. It can help you wind down from a stressful day

As any day progresses, its natural daily stressors will play a role in your overall mood. As stress and anxiety build up throughout the day, it’s likely such feelings will eventually boil over. And what’s one way to de-stress when you’re feeling overwhelmed? Exercise, of course! Whether you’ve had a tough day at the office or the kids have been challenging you at home, exercise is an excellent way to combat the negative side effects of daily stress. CARDIO: Box HIIT 7pm Thursday nights is a perfect way to relieve that built up work stress from the week. 

5. You’ll sleep more soundly

It seems there are two overarching schools of thought when it comes to exercise and sleep. The time of day a person chooses to work out often directly affects his or her sleep cycle. One common belief is exercising at night will release too many endorphins to allow a person to sleep soundly. The other idea holds exercising at night will tire you out, thus making a good night’s sleep perfectly reasonable.

Interestingly enough, exercising later in the evening may very well be the best time of day to ensure a solid night’s sleep. It depends on your particular problem, if you have trouble falling asleep, morning workouts may be your best bet. But if you have difficulty staying asleep, evening exercise may be the way to go. If you regularly wake up over the course of the night, a late-in-the-day sweat session may be just what you need.

Ready to put our theory to the test? Join Bondi Vixen’s evening only membership and have access to 9 classes Monday – Friday and benefit from the discounted evening rate.  Prefer an access all areas approach check out our ZONE 21 Kickstart to give yourself 21 days unlimited access.