A lot of people feel that they must exercise regularly to remain the healthiest and most productive that they can be in their lives. And this principal has scientific merit: numerous body and mind benefits have been connected to cardiovascular exercise and strength training. But the unfortunate truth is that (at least to most people) exercise is not very fun. So if you do work out, you probably want to make the most of it, right?

There is a long string of debates about whether working out in the morning or night is better for you. A lot of people like to get it out of the way first thing in the morning, while some others prefer to get more sleep and work out later. But what does science say?

Actually, it seems that working out in the evening may be a bit better for you. Your body is more physically limber and stretched in the evening, so you will have to spend less time warming up, and your potential for injury is much less. Also, you might get more out of your workout in the evening, because you will have more energy and will be less groggy and tired.

Of course, there is a flip side to the coin. If you are one of those people who will not do something unless you are on a schedule, evening workouts are far more likely to be put off or canceled. And it is definitely better to work out in the morning rather than not at all. And some health studies suggest that you will sleep better at night if you work out in the morning (as long as you aren’t missing more sleep to get up and run).

At the end of the day, this topic is one of those things that really varies from person to person. And even if one option might be slightly better than the other, you should still continue to just do what works for you.