Benefits of Afternoon Exercise for Weight Loss and Health

There has been some debate in the health and fitness industry on what is the best time to exercise to maximize fat loss. Some experts say it is best to work out first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, and others say to work out in the afternoon. Afternoon exercise for weight loss can be part of a great plan!

I have experimented a lot with clients and myself and have found the best time to be any time!

The time of day is not as important as actually doing the work.

In this article, we talk about the benefits of afternoon exercise for weight loss and health.

High Intensity Cardiovascular exercise

Some examples include jumping jacks, running, swimming, cycling, or jumping rope.

The key is to keep your heart rate at a moderate to high rate, which helps speed up your metabolism and burn body fat. Multiple research studies back this up as well (1)(2)

Strength Training

While strength training itself won’t burn that many calories while you’re actually exercising, it is what happens after your weight train is what matters. Weight training breaks down muscle tissue, which revs up your metabolism so it can rebuild.

Combined with a high protein calorie-restricted diet, you will maximize weight loss. (3)

Also, having more muscle mass increases your metabolic rate. This means more calories burned when at rest.

When you should eat to maximize benefit

For me personally, I have found that if I have a stomach full of food, my afternoon exercise truly suffers. Remember that digestion takes a lot of energy to accomplish.

If you’re trying to digest a big meal during your training, the blood in your body will be used by the stomach, instead of the other muscles used for exercise.

It all depends on your schedule but try to give your body at least two hours to digest before working out.

Other health benefits

The general public and most clients that I have worked with in the past understand that exercising is good for helping lose weight. However, they may not know there are some amazing additional health benefits that should be considered.

Heart health

While this is somewhat common knowledge that exercise improves your heart health, the studies behind these statements may not be as common.

A study from 2005 showed that exercise increased oxygen consumption, which in turned help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (4)

Increased energy

By exercising regularly, your energy levels should increase. Studies have proven that by exercising on a regular basis reduced fatigue in 36 healthy people (5)

Improved Mood

Studies have shown that regular exercise improves moods, increases endorphin levels, and even may decrease feelings of depression (6) (7)

Healthy Bones

Afternoon exercise is a great way to strengthen your muscle and skeletal structure.