As the saying goes, it’s better (to run) late than never. But how “late” is another question.
Running in the evening is undeniably a great way to relieve stress and sort out the thoughts accumulated during the day. For some, the evening is the only time available for training. For others — a planned preparation for a night run.
Though, evening workouts have nuances to take into account.
Timing
It is advisable to complete the evening workout no later than 8 pm, i.е. 2–3 hours before going to bed. We must allow enough time to cool down before the body turns on the “passive mode”. If you’re exercising outdoors in natural light, “golden hour” is your call.
Concentration
There is no need to rush to the office, your head is free from upcoming tasks and you are fully focused on the training process. This enables you to do a little more, think through the process more carefully, and sometimes, witness your maximum.
It is faster in the evening than in the morning
Muscle strength, flexibility, power output, and endurance are better in the evening than in the morning. In addition, it takes around 20% longer to reach the point of exhaustion in the evening. It is not for nothing that many professional athletes do the main workout at the second training session, while in the morning they devote time to quality warm-up and muscle activation exercises. So strength and speed training in the evening is indeed a good and reasonable idea.
Impact on weight
A long evening easy run will make your body burn fat even at night.
Sleep
The effect of the evening training is especially dependent on the quality of sleep. Late training leads to falling asleep late as your body needs 2–3 hours to cool down. If you had less than 8 hours of sleep at night — and this is very likely given the start of the coming office day — then the post-workout day wouldn’t be productive. By adding another evening workout the day after that, you are at risk of further depleting your energy reserves. Plan some extra time to rest when training in the evenings.
Meals throughout the day
By the end of the day, undigested food accumulates in the stomach. Vertical oscillation while running can cause discomfort or unexpected consequences — including an urgent search for a toilet. To avoid embarrassment, the best strategy for eating on the day of the evening workout is to drastically reduce your calorie intake after 2:00 pm. Yes, there is a risk of crossing the finish line of the evening workout at the nearest Doner cafe, but the choice is yours.
Post-run meal
Overeating after an evening workout will in no case help you sleep better, and will serve as an additional stress on the body at the end of the day. Better wait until morning and enjoy a BIG breakfast.
Clothes
The only fine point about jogging at dusk is the need to see clearly and be clearly visible to others! Choosing clothes with bright reflective elements is important even in urban lighting. Many sports brands have special collections for night running. If you are the one not willing to give up on your favorite trails even at night, brighten up your miles with running body lights or a head torch. Though, in general, we do not recommend opting for night routes through the woods at night.
Night races
By running and exercising in the evening, you inevitably accustom the body to such loads at a late hour. It makes sense to leverage your abilities at night races. For example, Adidas City Night run in Berlin, Night Half Marathon in Wroclaw or International Thessaloniki Night Half Marathon.
Tailor-made training
Taking part in all of these races is a cool and ambitious goal. Get a full personal training service and professional coaching support in OMY! Sports mobile app.
Running in the evening is undeniably a great way to relieve stress and sort out the thoughts accumulated during the day. For some, the evening is the only time available for training. For others — a planned preparation for a night run.
Though, evening workouts have nuances to take into account.
Timing
It is advisable to complete the evening workout no later than 8 pm, i.е. 2–3 hours before going to bed. We must allow enough time to cool down before the body turns on the “passive mode”. If you’re exercising outdoors in natural light, “golden hour” is your call.
Concentration
There is no need to rush to the office, your head is free from upcoming tasks and you are fully focused on the training process. This enables you to do a little more, think through the process more carefully, and sometimes, witness your maximum.
It is faster in the evening than in the morning
Muscle strength, flexibility, power output, and endurance are better in the evening than in the morning. In addition, it takes around 20% longer to reach the point of exhaustion in the evening. It is not for nothing that many professional athletes do the main workout at the second training session, while in the morning they devote time to quality warm-up and muscle activation exercises. So strength and speed training in the evening is indeed a good and reasonable idea.
Impact on weight
A long evening easy run will make your body burn fat even at night.
Sleep
The effect of the evening training is especially dependent on the quality of sleep. Late training leads to falling asleep late as your body needs 2–3 hours to cool down. If you had less than 8 hours of sleep at night — and this is very likely given the start of the coming office day — then the post-workout day wouldn’t be productive. By adding another evening workout the day after that, you are at risk of further depleting your energy reserves. Plan some extra time to rest when training in the evenings.
Meals throughout the day
By the end of the day, undigested food accumulates in the stomach. Vertical oscillation while running can cause discomfort or unexpected consequences — including an urgent search for a toilet. To avoid embarrassment, the best strategy for eating on the day of the evening workout is to drastically reduce your calorie intake after 2:00 pm. Yes, there is a risk of crossing the finish line of the evening workout at the nearest Doner cafe, but the choice is yours.
Post-run meal
Overeating after an evening workout will in no case help you sleep better, and will serve as an additional stress on the body at the end of the day. Better wait until morning and enjoy a BIG breakfast.
Clothes
The only fine point about jogging at dusk is the need to see clearly and be clearly visible to others! Choosing clothes with bright reflective elements is important even in urban lighting. Many sports brands have special collections for night running. If you are the one not willing to give up on your favorite trails even at night, brighten up your miles with running body lights or a head torch. Though, in general, we do not recommend opting for night routes through the woods at night.
Night races
By running and exercising in the evening, you inevitably accustom the body to such loads at a late hour. It makes sense to leverage your abilities at night races. For example, Adidas City Night run in Berlin, Night Half Marathon in Wroclaw or International Thessaloniki Night Half Marathon.
Tailor-made training
Taking part in all of these races is a cool and ambitious goal. Get a full personal training service and professional coaching support in OMY! Sports mobile app.