The details around our exercise habits are crucial when it comes to optimizing our energy and designing a healthy lifestyle. So if we have the flexibility and the choice, will the time of day matter? What’s the best time of day to exercise?

The amount and quality of energy we have throughout the day varies according to our biorhythms. But picking the right time for exercise isn’t as simple as when you feel most energetic. You may be getting the best bang for your buck – energetically speaking – when you feel relatively sluggish. Ancient healing systems like Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offer guidance as to the best time to exercise based on our natural bio rhythms.

Insight from Ayurveda and TCM

Ayurveda is a holistic medicine tradition from India dating back over 3000 years. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) originated in China over 2500 years ago. Though they developed independently, they both systems share similarities regarding living in balance with circadian cycles.

There are slight differences in how the two systems work, but in my experience they’re complementary. Using them together gives helpful insight into how human bodies have worked on a holistic level for thousands of years.

Modern medicine has lost touch with these systems because the Western medical model (the most common today worldwide) is reductionist in nature. It understands the different organ systems in depth by looking at each as separate, which has been valuable in many ways. But there is still room for an integrative approach.

In the last few years there have been (finally!) much more scientific research studies investigating the validity of ancient medicinal systems like Ayurveda, with promising results. Just as it took 40 years for meditation to gain mainstream acceptance through scientific literature, I believe TCM and Ayurveda will be proven useful by Western scientific methods in the future.

The Body’s Internal Clock

Both Ayurveda and TCM have their own clocks that represent when different systems are most active, and as a consequence, the best time to schedule certain activities for the day.

The Best Time of Day for Exercise

In Ayurveda, the early morning hours between 6-10 AM are considered ideal for exercise. This “Kapha time” allows movement before the business of the day. Kapha represents slower moving energy, so exercise can help give the body’s energy some momentum when it’s somewhat sluggish.

TCM similarly recommends morning workouts between 5-9 AM when the meridians linking to the large intestine and stomach are most active. These organ systems play a foundational role in roviding energy, removing waste, and creating a healthy daily rhythm.

Late mornings from 10 AM-2 PM are still beneficial for lighter activities like yoga or walking. Ayurveda notes that pitta-related inflammation could result from overexertion during the hot midday period.

Afternoons and evenings are not optimal times for intense exercise in either system. TCM advises against vigorous workouts after 2 PM when our qi energy starts descending ahead of rest. Gentle evening stretching or walking is fine.

Finding a Balance in Scheduling

Both ancient traditions agree that exercise in the early morning syncs best with our natural cycles. But it’s important to take our own lifestyles and individual biorhythms into consideration.

Not everyone’s circadian rhythm is optimized, and we all have unique differences in how our body works.

Additionally, we have jobs and obligations that get in the way. The most important thing is establishing an exercise habit, no matter the time. Don’t allow TCM and Ayurvedic recommendations to interfere with that.

Back in 2008, I had a rigid work schedule and the only Bikram yoga class I was able to attend was the 4:30pm. But by going to that nearly every day for 9 months, I changed my life. It’s possible I could have gotten more benefit, faster from attending the 7:30am class, but that wasn’t an option.

But if you have a flexible schedule and you’re interested in optimizing your health and energy levels, this is something to try out for a while and see if it works for you.