Exercise late in the day - myth?

[banshee]

OK, so just about every article you read about exercise says not to do it too late in the day or you'll have trouble sleeping.

I've posted here before how doing my core exercises right before bed actually seems to help me sleep better. I thought maybe it was because the exercises I do for core aren't extremely strenuous. But last night, I didn't get to my exercises early, but I didn't want to skip them either just because it was 9:30pm, so I went ahead and did a full upper body workout. Finished about 10:15, and went to bed about an hour later. I slept like a baby.

So is this another of those oft-repeated pieces of exercise advice that isn't really true, or am I just strange?

I found the following articles that seem to indicate that it may be a highly individual effect:

Late Day Exercise: Does it worsen insomnia? (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/AN01063)

Is Exercising at Night Really So Bad? (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8986839/)

So perhaps not a myth, but not necessarily true for everyone either? In any case, I liked this quote from the second article:

But [Youngstedt ] worries that the widespread belief that evening exercise is bad for sleep could be an "unnecessary barrier to exercise." For many busy people, the after-dinner hours may be the only time they can squeeze in fitness.

[Gopherhead]

So is this another of those oft-repeated pieces of exercise advice that isn't really true, or am I just strange?



Not really. I don't know you but I doubt you're strange ;)

YMMV. I can't do it, because it messes with my cortisol levels, but high nighttime cortisol has been a problem for me in the past. However, it didn't always used to be the case; I used to run at night for years, I loved it.

Then there's the school of thought that all that nightime running may have been part of what caused my cortisol problems.

[LisaS]

I think it is definitely a YMMV thing -
it may also vary with an individual based on the kind of exercise and environment - an easy run may effect you differently than weights - working out at home in low light might effect you differently than late-night in a bright gym with pounding music -

now someone looking for a specific effect (like body builders) might not like to sleep after a workout - not because they cannot sleep but because it might have an effect on GH release - I can't recall how sleep might effect the levels but I seem to remember that that population wants to have a buffer of awake time post-workout - but for different reasons than effecting quality of sleep.

[laughingW]

For me it's all about intensity and duration. Really intense and long keeps me awake. Nothing at all makes me restless. But mild intensity up to a point feels just right.