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Too Late to Lift: How Exercise Timing Impacts Sleep
Evening exercise isn’t always bad, but intensity and timing matter more than you think
Summer break for the kids is nearly here, and I’m excited. It’s not the beach trips or breaks at the neighborhood pool I’m looking forward to most.
It’s more sleep.
My son is in elementary school, meaning his bus arrives before the sun most days of the school year, at 6:58 AM. My son takes a while to warm up in the mornings, meaning I have to wake him at 6:05 to ensure we are out the door by 6:45 to walk to the bus stop in the center of the neighborhood.
I like my morning routine sans kids. So to get some coffee and reading in, I typically wake between 5 and 5:30, depending on how early I was able to get to bed the night before. That schedule shifts during the summer.
Sure, my bank account takes a hit to ensure the kids are in camp most weeks, but those camps typically start at 9 am. That means I can “sleep in” until 6 or 6:30 and still get my morning coffee and read time in silence.
Glorius.
What does this have to do with evening exercise? It all ties back to one of the most important health habits you can focus on — getting sufficient sleep.
