When is a good time to run five miles?

Research on body temperature, hormone levels and lung function says that the best time to do any exercise is around 6 p.m., but surveys on exercise habits disagree. Surveys say it is better to exercise in the morning. There are cons and pros to each conclusion.

Exercising in the morning can become a habit more easily. There are fewer distractions and is more free time early in the morning. It also raises your heart rate so that you burn more calories during the day. The cons to exercising in the morning, however, is that the body temperature is lowest one to three hours after waking up, which makes for less energy.