For many students, exercising in the morning provides a great start to the day. Others swear by early-afternoon or late-evening exercise. But which time of day produces the greatest benefits?

"Speaking from personal opinion, there's not a lot of science to support the theory that you burn a lot of calories in the morning," said Jill Garrigan, Penn State fitness coordinator.

Garrigan encouraged students to listen to their bodies to determine the time of day most beneficial to them.

"I would never tell someone to work out in the morning versus the afternoon," she said.

According to the American Council on Exercise, workouts are more productive when body temperature is at its highest, usually in the late afternoon. However, the council recommends keeping a regular schedule of exercise regardless of the time of day. Garrigan said while she does not see a lot of students exercising in the morning, those who do are very consistent.

"Those [students] who work out in the morning are very loyal, regular and committed to scheduling in fitness," she said.

Besides keeping a regular schedule, there may be other psychological benefits to working out in the morning, Garrigan said.

"I think sometimes [exercising in the morning] has a stress benefit in that you know you've already done it, and you don't have to worry about it all day," she said.

Laura Seipt (junior-math education) said she exercises every weekday at 9 a.m.

"I feel like it wakes me up in the morning and gets it out of the way, gets your metabolism going for the rest of the day," she said.

Seipt said another benefit of working out earlier is that there are fewer people in the mornings.

"I like to stay on the machines for a longer workout, and you can't really do that at other times," she said.

Exercising in the morning requires a few changes from an afternoon workout, Garrigan said.

"You need a longer warm-up if you workout in the morning. Also, have maybe half a banana and some water beforehand," she said.

Erin Neil (senior-philosophy and art history) exercises two to three times per week at 10 p.m. She said she would like to workout earlier, but her busy schedule does not permit it.

"I just have everything from work to classes, and it's so crowded during the day. It's harder to work out because I work later at night, and it's impossible to have a regular morning schedule," she said.

Garrigan said the time of day a student exercises does not matter as much as keeping a regular schedule.

"Put it in your calendar and don't miss," she said.