Exercise is a crucial part of a healthy lifestyle and is well-documented as such. Regular exercise can help you maximize your weight loss, fight against cardiovascular disease, and boost your over all mood. Exercise may also encourage a better night's sleep, which means greater alertness during the day.
A personal trainer can help set you up with a workout schedule that fits your specific physical needs and personal goals which will help with attaining better sleep. To feel the benefits from the exercise-sleep connection, it's important to comprehend why it works, how much exercise you need to reap the benefits, and when to partake in a sweat session for the greatest sleep results.
How Exercise Helps Sleep
Routine exercise, especially earlier in the day, can affect your sleep quality by increasing your body temperature by several degrees. When it’s closer to a normal bedtime, your body will naturally bring your body temperature down into normal range which may trigger feelings of drowsiness, naturally queuing your body that its time to sleep.
And even better, if you exercise outdoors, you will be taking in natural light which is an essential element in helping your body to set an excellent sleep-wake cycle.
Duration Of Sweat Session For Optimal Sleep
A great goal to shoot for is two and a half hours of moderate to vigorous exercise each week. This should help improve your sleep quality and meet the recommended amount of time for weekly physical exercise for health.
Our personal training sessions are usually 45-60 minutes, so 2-3 sessions a week are all you would need to commit to. For anyone that says they can’t find the time, try to do 30 minutes, five times a week. Still say you can't fit it in to your busy day? Even just 10 minutes a day of walking, swimming, or biking can enhance your nightly zzz's.
The Ideal Time to Workout
Believe it or not, there are ideal times to schedule a workout during the day. To get the advantages of solid nighttime's sleep, it is better to hit the gym in the morning or earlier in day, instead of the evening or night-time.
By working out in the morning or earlier in the day, you will allow your body temperature to rise, then fall by the time you're ready to hit the hay. When you exercise in the evening or nighttime it doesn't necessarily allow enough time for this temperature change to occur. Plus, the stimulation from a workout at a later hour may keep you awake.
The sleep benefits from exercise may be greater for some people than others. But if it isn't the cure-all you had hoped for, you'll feel good knowing that by incorporating regular workouts into your week, you are moving your health in the right direction.
SRQ Health & Fitness schedules training sessions throughout the day so give us a call to set up an initial consult. A healthier fitter more restful you could be right around the corner!
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