One extremely important thing that we absolutely need in our life is sleep. I cannot stress

the importance of sleep in our everyday lives. It helps our mental clarity, our recovery from

workouts, and our mood. Sleep often eludes people so they wake up drowsy, cranky, and not as

alert as they should. One thing that can improve our sleep quality is exercise.

Exercise improves sleep quality. Sleep quality is described as more restful sleep. When

we exercise, the amount of time we spend in deep sleep or REM sleep increases. This is the most

physically restorative sleep phase. This deep sleep also boosts immune function, heart health,

and can help to control stress and reduce anxiety.

One of the biggest issues facing America’s sleep problem is not enough sleep. It is

recommended to get at least 8 hours. A majority of the population gets way less than this. This

contributes to decreased mental alertness and a feeling of weakness all day. One thing that

improves this is exercise. When we are physically active we expend energy therefore we feel

tired and want to rest. Studies show that a CONSISTENT routine will boost sleep duration more

that scattered exercise.

Stress can be caused by sleep problems which causes worry and can contribute to feelings

of anxiousness. This is easy to combat as moderate intensity exercise can trigger anti-anxiety

responses in the brain. Exercise programs such as yoga can help to relive stress and relax. Yoga

can also reduce blood pressure and cortisol levels that have a positive effect on mood.

So we see the benefits are quite positive but how can we implement exercise into our

daily lives. Here are a few tips to help us get more exercise in our day as well as more sleep at

night.

• Morning exercise boosts our deep sleep when we go to bed. Getting up before work to get a little jog or going to the gym to lift will help when you go to sleep that night. Just be careful and warm up properly as there is an increase chance of injury when the body is cold.

• If we want to maximize our workouts, work out later in the day after work. Our physical performance peaks later in the day.

• If fat loss is one of your goals, working out before breakfast can help. Keep the intensity lower and make sure you refuel after the workout.

As we can see, sleep is absolutely important to our health. If we feel we aren’t getting enough,

then exercise might be the cure.

Sean Willitts is an ACE certified personal trainer. He graduated from Kutztown University in 2015 with a bachelor’s in sports management and a minor in fitness. Including training at Body Elite, he is also a record holding powerlifter. He uses his practical experience and knowledge to help his clients achieve their strength and fitness goals.

Source: https://www.thesleepdoctor.com/2017/05/22/benefits-exercise-sleep/