Kathy from New Castle asks:
I just wanted to know what time of day is best to exercise? The only time I get to exercise is at night after work. Should I exercise before or after dinner??

Hi Kathy,
There are several things to consider if you're deciding when to exercise. What are your goals? Why are you exercising? If you're exercising in order to lose weight, then experts will tell you that exercising in the morning will result in a greater caloric burn. If you're exercising for general health benefits then exercising any time of the day will move you toward your goal. With regard to exercising before or after a meal, I suggest exercising before a meal or at least 1 hour after a meal to avoid gastro-intestinal discomfort. If you haven't eaten for more than 4 hours before exercise you may want to eat 1/2 a banana, a few whole grain crackers and some orange juice to give you then energy you need to get through the workout.

The most important point Kathy, is that you're exercising. Congratulations! Regardless of all the expert advice you might get about when is the best time to exercise, the bottom line is to exercise when (ever) you can. Don't fret about the perfect time - you're more likely to stick with it if it's the right time for you!

Meg