Early workouts can boost consistency and mood, while evening sessions may improve strength and performance. Experts explain how to choose the right training time for your goals

Unless you live in the World Cup host countries of Canada, Mexico and America, it is pretty likely your sleep schedule may be out of sync if you are a football fan. With almost half of the 104 games being played in the middle of the night for example if you live in the UK, sleep deprivation can play havoc with your normal routine.

For those that are sacrificing watching the football instead of working out, the good news is there is ways to do both. It’s about knowing the benefits of what morning v nightime exercise provides and finding time to dedicate yourself to it; even if it’s just a matter of mixing your fitness routine up for the six weeks duration of the World Cup.

“The football is no doubt disrupting sleep schedules across the UK and it is understandable that many people are wondering whether they should force themselves into an early morning workout or wait until later in the day. The truth is that both have advantages,” explained celebrity strength coach Michael Baah.

“Morning training works well because it removes many of the barriers that appear later in the day. Emails, meetings, family commitments and fatigue haven’t had a chance to derail your plans yet.

“Many of my clients describe morning exercise as “starting the day with a win”. Research has shown that exercise can improve mood, focus and energy levels, which often creates a positive knock-on effect throughout the day.”

As for evening exercise if you want to sleep in after a late night match, Michael says they can be equally effective and, “for some people, even better.

“Body temperature, muscle function, reaction time and power output naturally tend to peak later in the day. In practical terms, this often means you feel stronger, move better and may be capable of producing slightly better performance during strength training or high-intensity exercise.”

Stress release

In agreement is Richard Bennett, a UK-based strength and conditioning coach https://www.calibreperformancecoaching.co.uk/ who adds evening exercise can be also be a great stress release after work, making you more alert and awake too to watch the football if you are planning a late one.

“The potential downside of evening exercise is that intense training too close to bedtime may make it harder for some people to wind down and get to sleep.” So, that explains why it may give you the boost you need to stay wide eyed for late night kick offs.

Another fitness expert also points to the social aspect of exercise, explaining that evening workouts are growing as a trend.

In America I’ve seen early morning workouts shrinking in popularity and evening workouts growing as a trend,” explained David Sautter, a personal trainer and fitness nutrition specialist at Muscle Booster https://musclebooster.welltech.com/

“The rise of social fitness may be playing a large role in this behaviour shift, as the gym is increasingly becoming a primary social outlet for younger generations.

“Group classes, run clubs, and the rise of social sports like padel or pickleball are gaining in popularity as evening activities where people can connect after work. This increased social aspect of the gym environment isn’t best suited to an early morning time frame.

“Often, morning gym-goers are usually there as a tick-box exercise, get in, get out, get to work on time. Meanwhile evening gym-goers are there for the experience and social community, they don’t have an immediate deadline following their workout.”

So what are the benefits and downsides of morning workouts compared to evening workouts?

Pros:

Metabolic enhancement: “Morning workouts jumpstart your metabolism which triggers a sustained calorie burn throughout the day, often referred to as the Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) effect. This can help support weight loss goals.”

Mental boost: “Early gym sessions also effectively release endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine. These all act as natural mood boosters, helping to reduce stress and anxiety while increasing alertness and energy levels for the day ahead.”

Cons:

Increased muscle stiffness: “In the morning due to sleep inactivity, your body is stiff and less flexible right after waking up. This means you need to factor in a longer warm-up period for optimal performance and to prevent any injuries.”

Lower core body temperature: “The same goes for muscles and ligaments, as your core body temperature is lower in a morning. This can decrease tendon pliability and reaction time, which can affect your power and coordination until properly warmed up.

What are the pros/cons of working out at night?

Pros:

Increased strength: “Due to the body’s natural circadian rhythm, your core body temperature peaks in the late afternoon/early evening – meaning muscles are warmer, stronger, and more powerful. Hormone levels are also increased, particularly testosterone, which is crucial for muscle building.

Reduced injury risk: “Unlike the morning, your muscles are warmer and more flexible in the evening as you’ve been functioning and moving throughout the day. This lowers the risk of injury and reduces the time needed for a sufficient warm-up.

Cons:

Increased fatigue: “When you’re already exhausted, the mental hurdle to start a workout feels significantly higher. But fatigue doesn’t just make a workout less enjoyable, it lowers your performance ceiling. You may find you have less power, slower reaction times, and a higher perceived exertion for exercises that usually feel manageable.

Elevated heart rate: “Intense physical activity triggers a spike in excitatory hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. Vigorous exercise also raises your core temperature, and it can take several hours for it to cool back down to a range that supports restful, uninterrupted sleep.”

Finally, if you are a football fan that is glued to the television around the clock, personal trainer Ben Walker who works at https://www.anywherefitness.ie/  suggests one workout routine if you are short on time and can’t tear yourself away from the tournament.

“Performing a 30-40 minute anaerobic workout through intense cardio or resistance training can be beneficial for your body if you’ve not been moving as much as normal.

“The afterburner effect, called EPOC, then initiates while we sleep. Your body requires extra oxygen and uses more energy while resting, to help the system cool down, repair muscles tissues, and replenish energy stores (ATP). This process is called Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption. It boosts the metabolic rate for several hours after we finish our workout. Which is an added plus while we are sleeping.

“Our metabolism is at its strongest from the moment we wake up and slows down as we approach bed time, so getting that spike to effectively burn calories around the clock, is very beneficial for somebody looking for these gains.”