Studies indicate a direct correlation between the amount of exercise we get during the day and the way we feel both physically and emotionally. This is due to changes in our brain chemistry through regular exercise. One reason we sleep better at night when we exercise regularly during the day is exercise removes stress. Less stress and worry in your life means more relaxed and peaceful sleep.
Sleep is brought about as chemicals, which are byproducts of your body burning fuel during the day, are released. The more you burn, the more of these sleep-inducing chemicals are released, and this allows you to sleep better. Hence the more active your body is during the day, the greater the opportunity to give your body the chance for a restful night's sleep.
Multiple studies have confirmed this. A Stanford University study of physically inactive older adults found that when part of the group took on aerobics and brisk walking 30-40 minutes four days a week, all aspects of their quality of sleep improved. Another study of menopausal women showed much the same effects. For younger people, the goal might be to expend your energy during the day so you have no energy left at the end of the day.
So we have established that exercise will help you sleep better, it can certainly have an adverse effect if it is done at the wrong time of the day. The National Sleep Foundation has recommended avoiding heavy exercise late in the day, or within two or three hours prior to bedtime. This goes with not eating two to three hours of going to sleep, as the objective is to get the entire system in full relaxation mode prior to bedtime.
What are the best daily exercises that will help you sleep better? The general answer is whatever works best for you. The body craves routine, and operates best with a day-to-day schedule that varies as little as possible. So having a daily routine that is consistent will give you the best chance for restful sleep.
But exercises that involve cardio workouts are probably the best for most people. Increasing the oxygen into the bloodstream will refresh the body, and cardio activity such as brisk walking or running, biking, jumping rope and dancing are all designed to get the heart pumping and the blood moving. But there are exercises that are considered non-aerobic that will also be sleep beneficial.
Yoga utilizes breathing techniques and blood circulation through the body with the various postures, having a detoxing effect on the body. The regular practice of yoga will help you relax and diminish tension and stress. There are some off-shoots of traditional yoga that I would definitely recommend trying, such as Bikram yoga. Intensity is added to the workout, as it is done in 115 Fahrenheit temperatures with high humidity. But once you are past the initial shock to the body, I will vouch for the fact that it is extremely helpful for getting long and restful sleep.
The more physical activity you can do during the day, the more it should help your sleep at night. But routine in all things, be it exercise or eating or the time you go to bed each night, is such an important factor to good and restful sleep.
As we have found, Aerobic Training and sleep go hand in hand, and to get a good night sleep will be helped immensely by exercise. Also, with exercise goes the most important ingredient in your diet, water. Read all about Water Help You Lose Weight to find out why. Rich Carroll is a writer and health enthusiast living in London.
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