Job commuting to NYC, when to workout? page

[wolfman]

Hey all, I'm just about to start an internship in NYC, I live right by the train so the commute door to door will be about an hour...little over. My question is....would you guys workout in the morning before work? lets say in the gym by 6:30am....or would you do it when you come home?

[Leida]

Go with your natural cycle. I am an early riser, so if I could train at 6:30 am and still be at work early enough not to fade away by the end of the day, I would. But, as it is impossible (gym doesn't open till 5:30 am, and I need to be done by like 6 am to get downtown at a reasonable time), I train right after work, starting at about 3:30-4 pm. I find it noticeably harder than the early morning training, but better than anything after that. I would just drop the barbell and curl up in a little ball under the rack if I get to the gym at 6 pm. I do a ZUmba class with my wee one at 6:10 pm once in a while, and getting going is the hardest thing I ever do in fitness, and afterwards I can't sleep so Thursday is a complete horror.

[Lawyerchick12]

when I worked a pretty hectic daily schedule, I normally got my workouts early in the morning before work. I had much more energy as opposed to if I had worked out after work and also made me more reflective on how to solve some problem or dilenma during my work out seshs. Aslo I think I was more likely to stick to morning workouts because I had no excuse but if it was after work, I will always come up with reasons not to adhere. YMMV

[BestBetter]

Depending on what kind of workout you have in mind, maybe you could do some stuff during your lunch/breaks...For example, if you do any bodyweight excercises like push-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups, etc...maybe find the nearest park/playground and do those there. Monkey bars are a great fitness resource!

[Unicorn]

Either DH or I have done the NYC commute for most of our adult working lives. By far, the am workout was most effective/consistent. Working out at the end of the day, especially after commuting, was really a challenge.

[imnes]

I joined a gym near my office with shower facilities and hit it on my lunch break a few days a week.

[Dirlot]

Which ever works best for you - just work out.

[ciavyn]

Which ever works best for you - just work out.

+1 Be honest with yourself. Are you going to work out if you do it after work? Personally, I won't. I know me. I'll find an excuse, I'll be legitimately too tired, and I won't do it. I commute 45 minutes, and I get up at 5:30 to do my workout and get to work on time. So whatever you can do, do.

[iniQuity]

Which ever works best for you - just work out.

I also have an hour long commute into NYC. I find that working out after is more doable for me. I like to get up early so that's not the problem, but I prefer to be at work earlier than later (I get in at 8 am and open the office, first coworker usually arrives at 8:45) so that I can leave before 5 and be home by 6.

Also, it helps immensely that I don't go to a gym. About 90% of my workouts are home-based, so I get in, take all clothes off except my underwear (first floor of an apt complex, gotta keep it friendly for passer-bys) and do whatever workout I had planned for that day.

I guess, if I had to go to a gym the after-work schedule would also work for me.

As far as nutrition goes. I fast until lunch most days, though not as strictly as I used to (I had breakfast early today for instance) and I will sometimes have a snack of sorts, usually blueberries and brazil nuts in kefir, around 4pm. By the time I'm ready to work out, 6ish or so, my stomach is pretty empty, the way I like it.

Basically just experiment and find out what time works for you, also don't think that you always need to do one or the other... sometimes it might just work to do something early and sometimes late. No need to have a super specific schedule, right?

I think a pretty great idea, inspired by a friend, is to use mornings for fast but intense workouts. Borrowing from Crossfit for instance, do something in only 10-15 minutes then hit the showers and head off to work. Try rounds of burpees, pull ups, etc with little to no rest. Keep it brief. Then in the afternoons do your more focused strength based work, you don't have to do both same day, but if you know you won't get into the gym at night, use your mornings more wisely - just a thought.

[PrimalMama]

depending on what workout you want to do and where you want to do it... I'd go for a before work or lunch-hour workout. Of course, if this is really fighting your schedule or your natural rhythms, it won't work.

I used to swim at one of the NYC Rec centers (100/year for centers without a pool, 150/year for centers WITH a pool) on my way to or from the office. I've also biked to/from work instead of subwaying (takes a wee bit longer because I take it relatively easy) - and I've definitely caught a dance class or two on the way home.
I've never done the lunch-hour workout, but I know a lot of people who have.

You'll know more about what will work with your schedule when you actually start your internship.