This is the Best Time of Day to Workout, According to Science      
Finding time to exercise can be challenging, and the most important thing is to squeeze in any amount of it whenever you can. But if you want to optimize your workouts to get the widest range of benefits, you might want to try exercising in the morning.  

Here’s what the science says about the best time of day to exercise — and what to expect if you opt for later workouts.  

Morning workouts have an edge  
Working out in the morning — especially on an empty stomach — is the best way to burn stored fat, making it ideal for weight loss. That’s largely because the body’s hormonal composition in the morning is set up to support that goal, says Anthony Hackney, a professor in the department of exercise and sport science at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.   

“In the early morning hours, you have a hormonal profile that would predispose you to better metabolism of fat,” Hackney says. People naturally have elevated levels of cortisol and growth hormone in the morning—both of which are involved in metabolism—so you’ll “draw more of your energy from your fat reserves,” Hackney says. That can potentially help with weight loss. Research also suggests that morning exercisers may have less of an appetite throughout the day, which could also help protect them from putting on pounds.  

Even if you hate early alarms, working out first thing in the morning can quickly become second nature. A study published in 2019 in the Journal of Physiology found that exercising at 7 a.m. may shift your body clock earlier, meaning you’ll feel more alert in the morning and get tired earlier in the evening, potentially priming you to get enough rest to wake up and do the same thing the next day. Some research even suggests that it’s easier to stick to healthy habits completed in the morning.  

A morning sweat may also lead to better mental health and productivity throughout the day, since exercise is great for reducing stress.  

But if you’re really not a morning person, don’t force it. “You may be exercising, but it may be at such a low intensity level that you’re really not expending a lot of energy,” Hackney says.
This Is the Best Time of Day to Work Out, According to Science | TIME

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Remember the (4) S's for weighing:  
♦ Same TIME of day   (on the)
♦ Same DAY each week (wearing the)
♦ Same CLOTHING (and using the) 
♦ Same SCALE to Measure Yourself - Remember, sometimes the scale doesn't budge, but the waistline will. 
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As we know, research depends on many variables and my "take-home" on this article is that we should stick to habits that work for us.  Richard Simmons seemed to adhere to the idea of exercise before breakfast, and I've found that's worked for me in the past. When I was able to run, I used to get out there at 5:30am and start my day. When I worked out with my Dancin' to the Oldies VHS, I exercised before breakfast.  I also had bouts where I went for lunch to my parents' home and swam laps on my break. Currently, I exercise a few times throughout the day.  We have to do what works.  ♥  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!