Many people train in the late evening or at night. The question that is always asked, is it bad to train late at night? Some of us are not morning people. Some of us believe that if we were meant to enjoy the sunrise it would be at 11:00 in the morning.
For others who work second or third shifts, training in the morning may not even be available in their schedules. If you work at a studio, gym or a 24-hour fitness center, I am sure that you have had clients that want to train late. Let’s discuss some facts and opinions about training at night.
When you train, your body releases hormones and chemicals to get you through the workout, which is good. But some of these hormones, such as adrenaline, may be counterproductive to you when you want to get some sleep soon after a workout.
For some people this is in fact true: late night workouts can affect their sleep. To most others, exercise will likely increase their chances of a good night’s rest. Dr. Stewart Quan with Harvard Medical School believes this.
Several studies have come out in the last few years proving most people who work out get a higher quality of sleep. If your clients prefer to train at night you may want to advise them on some strategies they might want to employ. If your client likes to consume coffee or other caffeinated drink prior to working out they may want to refrain from doing so before a late night training session to avoid sleeplessness.
They will also need to allow enough time between the end of the workout and bedtime to consume a post workout meal and give it a chance to start digesting. After the training session is over the client needs to immediately begin to unwind to allow their mind and body to relax and prepare to sleep.
Training at night is not the best situation for some, but for others they may be at their peak during this time. If your clients want to train at night, that is great. Just make sure they tell you if they are having trouble falling asleep afterwards. You may be able to incorporate a longer cool down period or advise them on different diet and supplement plans to help with sleep.
Most people will find they sleep better when they train late at night verses not training at all. It all depends on the individual and how their body is wired. What advice do you give your clients that train late at night to fall asleep fast?
The NFPT Team is your #FitFam of trainer professionals who make various contributions to the NFPT Blog according to timed news and events, or interests in writing to current topics respective to individual skillset, talent and/or professional recommendations.
