icon-account icon-glass

Popular Products

The Lean Protein
Whey protein powder for weight-loss.
The Energy Booster
Pre/intra-workout powder with BCAAs.

Morning Workout Versus Evening Workout: Which Is Better?

10th February 2021

10th February 2021

By Shivraj Bassi

Are you the kind of person who leaps out of bed at the first peal of their alarm, puts on the workout outfit they laid out the night before and runs off into the grey dawn beaming with joy? Or are you the kind of person who comes alive once the sun goes down, loves the peace and quiet of exercising when it’s dark outside and adores the feeling of falling into bed tired but happy from their recent workout?

Whatever your style, at the end of the day what matters is that you managed to fit exercise into your day, regardless of the time you do it. However, we are Innermost care deeply about going beyond the bare minimum and pushing our bodies and minds to the very best places they can go. Is there a time of day which is the most optimal to exercise?

What are the benefits of exercising in the morning?

The early bird catches the worm. By fitting in a workout before most people have managed to rouse themselves for their first coffee, you’ll have kickstarted your day and set yourself up for a productive, positive morning and afternoon. 

Photo by Robert V. Ruggiero on Unsplash

By exercising before tackling anything else on your to do list, you’ll be able to fully focus on your workout routine, as well as proving to yourself that you prioritise fitness and value making time to fit it into your schedule. A morning workout can also boost energy levels throughout the day, so you’re setting yourself up for productivity and focus with an earlying HIIT class or a swim

If you’re exercising to lose weight, you’ll be interested to know that working out before your first meal may help the body to burn fat more effectively compared to exercising later in the day, as well as boosting your metabolism so you’ll be burning more calories as you go about your workday and evening routine, even at rest. 

What are the negative side effects of morning workout?

When your alarm goes off before the sun has even risen, it’s no easy task to drag yourself out of your warm and cosy bed, put on tight gym clothes and head off into the early morning chill to jump on a treadmill. 

On a biological level, our lungs function at a lower rate in the mornings than in the evenings, as airways are more constricted following a full night of sleep. Additionally, joints and muscles are at their stiffest, making moving around more challenging and making your more prone to injuries. Make sure to stretch thoroughly to avoid this. 

Exercising in the morning also means that you’re more likely to be running on empty, as your body has just come out of sleep with no food and little water intake. An Innermost protein shake before or after your workout will help to combat this. 

What are the benefits of exercising at night? 

Are you a night owl? If you live for the moment the sun goes down and come alive in the evening when the rest of the world is winding down into rest, working out when the sun has sunk below the horizon could be a perfect fit for you. 

Science tends to think that exercising later in the evening is more beneficial than earlier in the day, as you’ll have more strength and energy. Your body temperature is higher at this time, which means that your joints and muscles are up to 20% more flexible. This means you’re far less likely to injure yourself. Metabolism and lung functions are also operating at a higher level, so it’s likely you’ll have more endurance and power. Finally, night time exercising is a great way to relieve stress and frustrations from the day. Boxing class where you imagine the bag is your boss, anyone?

What are the disadvantages of exercising at night?

Picture the scene: it’s 6pm, you’ve just left work, it’s raining and you’re exhausted after a day of pretending to pay attention in meetings. Would you rather hit the gym, or head home to your sofa for a long evening of Netflix and snacks? We know what the more tempting option is. 

You’re more likely to feel tired in the evening than in the morning and it’s also more likely your workout will get pushed to the side because of an emergency at work, family demands or the temptation of happy hour at that bar just around the corner from your office. 

It’s also possible that exercising close to the time when you go to bed could make it harder to fall asleep, as your body temperature, heart rate and metabolism will be elevated. To combat this, it could be helpful to do some yoga or gentle stretching before hitting the sack. 

Whichever time of day you choose to exercise, what matters is that you do it at all - and if this means waking up at 5am every day to a gym class or going for a bike ride around your neighbourhood at 10pm, it’s all about your personal lifestyle and time management. 

Need Expert Advice?

Other Insights

Halal Logo
When it comes to improving your fitness levels, lifestyle and nutrition are key. From the number of hours of sleep you get each night to your daily nutrition and everything in between, each is as important as the other. This extends to finding the right protein powder to fuel your workout routine. Yet today more than ever, what goes into that shaker bottle now goes beyond macros and muscle; more and more people are asking themselves – ‘how does this protein powder align with my religious values and beliefs?’ While we’ve spoken before about our clean, research based and ethically sourced ingredients here at Innermost, this time we want to get a little more specific with a focus on halal and halal protein powder. With so many voices and fluff information around, it can be difficult to know exactly what protein is and isn’t halal friendly. That’s why we’ve put together this nifty guide. We’re going to break down all the myths and everything you need to know about halal protein. What you should be looking out for, what makes proteins like whey halal friendly as well as the benefits that halal friendly protein can offer to your body.  Right, let’s get into it. What is halal protein? I’m sure most of you are already aware of halal, but for the 1% of you that might not be, let’s take a step back and ask: what is halal protein? Halal – meaning ‘permissible’ in Arabic – refers to any food product that complies with Islamic dietary laws as stated within the Qur’an and Islamic jurisprudence. This makes it a core element of Islamic faith and a key cornerstone of their commitment to leading a pure and disciplined life under the guidance of Allah. Some of the key guidelines for halal foods include: Halal friendly ingredients – certain ingredients are not permissible under a halal diet, including pork (and any byproducts), alcohol and blood. Other animal products can be halal as long as they are killed in accordance with the ethical treatment guidelines below. Ethical treatment of animals – For non-pork meats to be considered halal, animals must be treated humanly and responsibly during their life. This includes: Having access to clean water and nutritious food. Being raised in a free-range and stress-free environment. Not being subjected to cruelty, abuse, or unnecessary suffering. The process of killing any animal must also be quick and humane to be considered halal, with any suffering kept to the complete minimum. Importantly, to be considered halal, the name of Allah must be pronounced during the humane killing to ensure the sanctity of life is recognised throughout the process. No cross contamination - During the preparation process, halal foods must never come into contact with non halal foods. This means no cross contamination between preparation surfaces, equipment used, the handling of foods and storage. As such, ingredients such as milk can be halal however it depends on the production process and if additional non-halal additives (such as gelatin) are added. So, what does this mean for protein?  Essentially any animal protein is halal as long as it adheres to the guidelines we’ve mentioned. The best way to tell is that products – such as Innermost proteins - will be certified halal friendly on the packaging. Is protein powder halal? So, with that said you might be wondering: is my choice of protein powder halal? The truth is that protein powder can absolutely be halal, however it entirely depends on the ingredients used as well as the overall production process. Common protein sources like whey, casein, egg white, and plant-based proteins (such as pea, soy, or rice) can all be halal if they are sourced and manufactured in compliance with halal standards. While many of the larger brands do not meet these standards and cannot claim to offer halal protein, our range of Innermost protein powders and supplements are all certified halal, emphasising our dedication to ethical sourcing our use of clean sourcing without additives. From our pea protein fuelled (and vegan) The Health Protein, The Fit Protein, to our whey protein powered The Strong Protein and The Lean Protein, all our products are sourced in a halal-compliant manner. Benefits of halal protein powder You hear it all the time when it comes to ethical and dietary beliefs – ‘a vegan diet isn’t good for you’ or ‘a vegetarian mix can’t possibly have the nutrients you need. The reality is, that adhering to these sorts of values within your fitness routine and diet can have great benefits for the body. Halal protein powders are no different; they offer a range of benefits for individuals who are conscious of both their health and dietary requirements. Just some of the benefits of halal protein powder are: Clean ingredients: With halal protein powders, you can be confident that there will be no harmful or questionable ingredients/ additives such as silica. What does this mean? Your body has an easier job digesting and absorbing all the good stuff, ensuring you get the most out of your supplements. Quality protein: Halal protein powders use complete protein sources, ensuring your body gets all the amino acids it needs for effective muscle repair and growth.  Ethical production: We’ve mentioned plenty of times already, but that’s just how key ethical and clean production is to making protein halal. By avoiding things such as additional additives and cross contamination, your body is fuelled with a safer and more trustworthy supplement. Supports fitness and wellness goals: Whatever your fitness goals; halal protein has you covered. From building muscle to losing weight, the absence of excess sugars or fillers ensures you are best placed to smash your targets. Common misconceptions about halal protein powders With so much noise and no real answers around halal proteins, we thought it would be helpful to list of some of the key misconceptions regarding the diet and what the actual truths are. All vegan protein powders are halal Given that so much of halal is driven by animals and their ethical treatment, you might just assume every vegan protein powder is halal because it is made of.. well, plants. The reality however is that vegan proteins aren’t necessarily halal – it all comes down to the production process. While Innermost vegan proteins are proudly halal certified, other protein powders can be produced with alcohol-based flavourings, non-halal emulsifiers, or might be processed in facilities that handle haram products – leading to cross contamination – not good! Is whey protein halal? On the other side of the spectrum, whey protein – being a byproduct of milk – is generally considered to be haram. Again, the truth is that whey protein can be halal provided that the milk is taken from cows that were treated ethically and within halal principles. Today, there are many halal-certified whey protein powders that are safe and effective for Muslim consumers. Halal certification doesn’t matter There is often an assumption made that if the ingredients look clean then the protein must be halal – regardless of certification. The truth is that what makes something halal goes beyond ingredients. Production and sourcing our also key factors that many companies do not consider. With halal certification on your favourite protein powders, you can be sure that every step—from sourcing and production to packaging and distribution—has been reviewed and approved according to strict halal standards.  Is Innermost protein powder halal? In short, yes. We at Innermost make it our mission to not only aid in muscle growth and recovery, but also to create protein supplements that are ethically sourced and rigorously tested to ensure individuals of any faith can smash their fitness goals.  Unlike competitors, our proteins are clean and built with the highest quality of ingredients and free from unnecessary additives and artificial ingredients.   We are proud to say that all our products are officially halal certified making them a suitable choice for those following the halal beliefs. This certification ensures that all ingredients and manufacturing processes meet Islamic dietary laws, with no use of haram substances such as pork derivatives or alcohol. With this in mind, why not check out our range of Innermost supplements to find out more about our halal proteins?     Read more
Our Top Tips To Freshen Up Your UAE Fitness Routine