Best Late Night Workout: Get Fit on Your Own Schedule

Discover the benefits of a Late Night Workout routine and how evening exercise can help you get fit on your schedule. Tips for productive Late Night Workouts and sample routines.

Why a Late Night Workout Routine is Perfect for Your Lifestyle

For many people with busy schedules, finding time to exercise during the day is nearly impossible. With work, kids, running errands, and other obligations, the evening hours after dinner are often the only stretch of free time. That’s why a late night workout can be the ideal solution to finally get in shape and achieve your fitness goals.

Late night workouts allow you to squeeze exercise into your packed routine rather than letting responsibilities crowd out healthy habits. And there are many benefits beyond just making time – late night exercise can amplify your results and even help you sleep better at night.

In this guide, we’ll cover all the advantages of late night workout routines, share expert tips on how to make the most of evening exercise sessions and provide sample late night workouts to try. Let’s dive in!

Benefits of Late Night Workouts

Working out at night doesn’t just offer convenience – it yields some unique advantages over morning and daytime exercise sessions. Here are some of the top benefits of late night exercise:

Better Sleep

Many people find that a late night workout helps them sleep better at night compared to being sedentary. Exercising in the evening helps raise your body temperature slightly. As your body works to cool itself back down over the next couple of hours, it can trigger feelings of sleepiness and help you fall asleep faster.

Just be sure to schedule your late night workout at least 2-3 hours before bedtime. Exercising too close to your usual bedtime could have the opposite effect and make it harder to fall asleep.

Boosted Calorie Burn

Your metabolism gets a spike from late-evening exercise, meaning you’ll continue burning extra calories for hours after your late night workout. Some studies suggest the calorie-burning effects could last for up to 14 hours after an intense late workout.

So, while conventional wisdom says working out in the morning can “rev your metabolism” for the day, late night workouts can supercharge your furnace through the night and the following day too.

Longer, More Intense Training

When you work out in the evening, you don’t have to cut your routine short to rush off to work or any other appointments. Late night workouts allow you to take your time and get in a longer, more intense training session.

You’ll feel less rushed and can fully capitalize on having the gym toys all to yourself if you go very late at night. Ease into a long warmup, take your time with heavy lifting sessions, and spend extra time cooling down properly after an intense late workout.

Family-Friendly Schedule

For parents, late night exercise sessions allow you to get your workout in after putting the kids to bed for the night. You don’t have to juggle exercise time with picking up the kids from activities, cooking meals, and other parenting duties during the daytime.

Just make sure not to exercise too late and risk waking up the little ones when you come home all energized from your training session!

Here’s an example schedule of how late night workouts could look for a busy parent:

Time	Activity
5-7 pm	Eat dinner, family time, get kids ready for bed
7:30-9:30 pm	Late night workout routine at the gym
10 pm	Shower, prep for next day, read, relax
11 pm	Bedtime

Late Night Workout Options for All Fitness Levels

No matter what your current exercise experience and abilities are, there are late night workout routines that can work for you. Let’s look at some options for beginners up through advanced athletes:

Beginner Late Night Workouts

If you’re new to exercise or just getting back into a routine, keep your late night workout simple first. Focus on low-impact cardio that will get your heart rate up while being gentle on your body:

Walking outdoors or on a treadmill
Using the elliptical machine
Low-intensity cycling sessions.
Light swimming or water aerobics

You can start with just 20-30 minutes per late night workout. Also incorporate some light strength training 2-3 times per week, such as:

Body weight exercises (squats, lunges, pushups, etc.)
Exercising with resistance bands
Light dumbbell or kettlebell routines

As your beginner fitness base builds up, you can gradually increase the time and intensity of your late night workouts.

Late Night Cardio Workouts

For an intense cardio challenge in your late night workout, try high-intensity interval training (HIIT). This style alternates short bursts of intense work with recovery periods, like:

30 seconds sprinting, 1 minute walking – Repeat for 20-30 minutes.
1-minute-high resistance on the bike, 2 minutes of easy pedalling
20 seconds of all-out rowing, 40 seconds of easy rowing

HIIT-style late night cardio workouts keep your heart rate elevated and allow you to pack a lot of work into an efficient 30–60-minute routine. The variety also helps make the time fly by.

Other good late night cardio workout options:

Running or outdoor cycling
Stair climbing machines.
Kickboxing or cardio dance classes
Jumping rope or battle ropes

Late Night Strength Training Routines

For those looking to build muscle and get stronger, evening strength sessions can be very productive. You have maximum energy reserves after resting all day, and the private gym time means no waiting around for equipment.

Focus your late night strength workouts on compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups like:

Barbell back squats
Bench press.
Deadlifts
Pull-ups or late pulldowns
Dumbbell shoulder presses

Allow at least 48 hours between training major muscle groups so they have time to recover and rebuild. For example:

Monday: Late night full body workout
Tuesday: Off
Wednesday: Late night leg & back workout
Thursday: Off
Friday: Late night chest, shoulder & arm workout
Sat/Sun: Off or light active recovery

You can see an example full late night chest & back workout routine I follow here: [Insert internal link to important chest & back workout article]

Don’t forget to include core training in your late night workouts too through planks, anti-rotation exercises, and ab circuits.

Late Night Yoga Routines

For those who prefer lower-impact exercise or want a counterbalance to their strength training, late night yoga routines can be the perfect solution.

Evening yoga flows and mobility work enhances flexibility while also improving muscular strength and endurance. The mindfulness aspect also makes it the ideal way to de-stress from a hectic day before unwinding for bedtime.

Try these late night yoga workout ideas:

30–60-minute vinyasa or power yoga flow
Yin or restorative yoga routine focused on deep stretching.
Gentle hatha sequence plus a meditation to calm the mind.

You can find many free late night yoga workout videos on YouTube or fitness apps. Having an instructor guide you through a routine life or virtually can enhance your home yoga practice too.

Tips for Productive Late Night Workouts

To get the most out of your late-evening exercise sessions, keep these tips in mind:

Tip #1: Schedule It & Prioritize It

Having a set time blocked off for your late night workout each day makes it much more likely you’ll follow through consistently. Treat it as an important, immovable commitment like a work meeting or appointment.

Tip #2: Find Your Energy Window

Not everyone operates best at the same time in the evening. Some people feel energized and ready to tackle an intense workout routine right after work around 6 or 7 pm. For others, that’s too soon after being sedentary all day – their prime energy window might be 8-10 pm after digesting their dinner.

Pay attention to when you tend to feel most awake and energetic in the evening hours. Then schedule your late night workouts accordingly so you can give your full effort. Exercising when you’re already fatigued reduces the effectiveness and increases injury risk.

Tip #3: Have a Pre-Workout Snack

Since you’ll be exercising for hours after your last meal, have a light snack 30-60 minutes before your late night workout to fuel your session. Good snack options include:

Greek yogurt with berries
Apple or banana with nut butter
Protein shakes or smoothies.
Handful of nuts and dried fruit

You’ll perform better when your blood sugar levels aren’t crashing. Just avoid heavy meals too close to exercising.

Tip #4: Stay Hydrated

Dehydration can zap your energy fast, especially when exercising later at night. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids throughout the day leading up to your late night workout. Have a water bottle handy to sip frequently during your routine too.

Tip #5: Adjust Caffeine Intake

The performance-enhancing effects of caffeine can be very helpful for late night exercise. Just be careful with timing – having coffee, pre-workout supplements, or other caffeine sources too close to bedtime could disrupt your sleep. Try cutting off caffeine at least 6 hours before your usual bedtime.

Tip #6: Cool Down Properly

Your late night workouts will likely have your body heated up and your heart pumping hard. Be diligent about properly cooling down through stretches, foam rolling, and gradually bringing your heart rate down. This helps enhance recovery, so you wake up feeling refreshed instead of still drained the next day.

FAQs Frequently asked questions

Is it OK to do a late-night workout?

Yes, late night workouts can be an excellent way to fit exercise into a busy schedule. Just be sure not to exercise too close to bedtime, as the increased adrenaline and body temperature can disrupt sleep.

Is 10 pm too late to work out?

For most people, working out after 10 pm is too late as it can negatively impact sleep quality that night. Aim to finish intense exercise at least 2-3 hours before your target bedtime.

Is it OK to work out after 11 pm?

It’s generally not recommended to do strenuous workouts after 11 pm. Exercise this late can elevate your energy levels and body temperature, making it very difficult to fall asleep soon after. Light yoga or stretching closer to bedtime is better than intense cardio or strength training.

Is Late-night exercise good for Weight Loss?

Yes, late night workouts can aid in weight loss efforts. Your metabolism gets a prolonged boost after evening exercise, allowing you to burn more calories overnight and into the next day. The key is being consistent with your late workout schedule.

Conclusion

Late night workouts offer an extremely convenient solution for busy people to finally make fitness a priority. Evening exercise sessions come with unique advantages like better sleep, boosted calorie burn, more productive training sessions, and family-friendly timing.

Kick your late-night workout routine into high gear by scheduling a consistent time, listening to your body’s natural energy windows, proper fueling and hydration, and cooling down effectively. With some upfront planning, late night workouts can be a sustainable way to get in shape while still balancing life’s other demands.

So don’t view your packed schedule as an excuse to skip exercise. Embrace the opportunity to get focused “me time” through rewarding late night workouts tailored to your schedule and goals!