Morning jogging vs night jogging, which is healthier? The answer is unexpected

Running is a globally popular sport, popular for its simplicity and significant health benefits. Among many running enthusiasts, the debate over whether morning running or night running is better has been inconclusive.

In fact, morning jogging and night jogging each have their own unique advantages and things to note. You can choose morning jogging or night jogging according to your needs and time.

Morning run: a good start to the day

1. Advantages of morning jogging

The biggest advantage of morning jogging is that it can quickly wake up the body and inject vitality and a positive attitude into the whole day. In the morning, the muscles and organs of the whole body are still in a relaxed state. At this time, proper exercise can wake up the body and speed up metabolism.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

At the same time, when you get up in the morning, the sugar in your body is in a state of deficiency after a night of metabolism, and the blood sugar content is relatively low. If you do proper exercise at this time, your body will consume fat to replenish energy, which will help you lose fat and lose weight.

In addition, the air in the early morning is relatively fresh and the environment is quiet. Morning jogging can also help people get excited quickly, help relax their mood and organize their thoughts, and start a new day.

2. Things to note when running in the morning

Pay attention to warming up thoroughly before morning jogging. Since the body may still be in a semi-resting state after a night of rest, with stiff muscles and an out-of-shape cardiovascular system, it is particularly important to warm up thoroughly at this time.

Warm-up exercises can include brisk walking, jogging, and dynamic stretching for large muscle groups, such as leg swings and knee raises, to gradually increase heart rate and body temperature and reduce the risk of sports injuries.

When running in the morning, you should pay attention to replenishing water and calories appropriately. When you get up in the morning, your body is in a state of dehydration, and running will further increase the loss of water in the body. It is particularly important to replenish water in time before and during running.

At the same time, after a night of metabolism, exercising when the blood sugar level in the body is too low can easily lead to risks such as fainting. It is recommended to replenish energy appropriately to avoid hypoglycemia.

Night running: enjoy running in a better state

1. Advantages of night running

For people who are busy during the day, night running is a good way to relax and relieve the stress of the day.

At night, the body is fully active and the muscles and joints are less stiff, which also helps to perform more intensive training.

2. Things to note when running at night

When running at night, you need to pay special attention to ambient light and safety issues. If necessary, you can wear reflective strips, headlights and other running equipment.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

When running at night, warming up is just as important, but since the body has already been warmed up during a day of activity, the focus of warming up can be on relaxation and stretching, such as static stretching, to help muscles relax and reduce muscle soreness the next day.

Whether you run in the morning or at night, you should pay attention to——

1. Warm up

Whether you are running in the morning or at night, warming up is essential. The purpose of warming up is to gradually wake up the body, increase heart rate and body temperature, and prepare for the upcoming exercise. Warm-up exercises should include easy aerobic exercise and dynamic stretching for major muscle groups. For example, you can start with brisk walking or jogging, and then do some dynamic stretching, such as leg swings, hip rotations, etc., to increase muscle flexibility and blood flow.

2. Pulling

Stretching is a very important part before and after running. Stretching before running is mainly dynamic, the purpose is to "warm up" the muscles, improve muscle elasticity and joint flexibility. Stretching after running should be static, the purpose is to help muscles relax, reduce muscle tension and soreness, and speed up the recovery process. For example, after running, you can do leg lifts and hamstring stretches.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

3. Relax

Cooling down after running is equally important. This includes not only static stretching of the muscles, but also deep breathing, jogging or brisk walking, and foam rolling when necessary. These cool-down activities help reduce lactic acid accumulation, promote blood circulation, and speed up the recovery process.

In summary, morning running and night running each have their own advantages. The key is to make a choice based on personal living habits and physical condition. No matter which one you choose, correct warm-up, stretching and relaxation are the key to ensuring running results and safety.

Running is not only a way to exercise, but also a healthy habit to improve the quality of life. As long as we treat it correctly, running can always bring positive effects to our lives.

Author: Huang Tao, former rehabilitation therapist in the Department of Sports Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital

Reviewer: Tang Qin, Director and Researcher of the Science Popularization Department of the Chinese Medical Association