Is Cardio Before Bed A Bad Idea?



Posted: Tuesday, April 25, 2006

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“I seem to be finding myself doing cardio before bed due to a hectic schedule and time constraints as of late.

Are there any problems with this?"

Well there are a few good reasons not to cardio right before bed. My experience is that cardio near bedtime lowers the quality of my sleep significantly. It takes me forever to get to sleep if I do cardio within 1 to 2 hours of bedtime, and I'm more likely to wake up at night.

Furthermore it seems athletes get that 2nd wind or rush after a workout which would cause your mind and body to be too energetic for sleep. Diet can also play a big part in this as well, but I’ll save that for another time.

Ideally, you want to have your cardio in at least 3 hours before bed. This will give you time to have a last meal before bed and for it to digest properly. Going to bed on a full stomach is not a good idea, and though some, like myself, sleep better with a full stomach, the majority do not.

Depending on your goals, cardio should be done first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, or when ever your schedule allows.
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