Why sleep is so important to your workout regimen.
The sun is minutes from rising while your phone lights up and vibrates with a thundering roar that explodes in your ear. This irritating sound is normal to you and habit prompts you to hit snooze over and over agin every 10 minutes. You should be putting on your sneakers to head to the gym or on a walk. But you also remind yourself it could be done tomorrow and hit snooze yet again.Its tomorrow and the sun is rising. You’re bad snooze habit ensues. You now find yourself in a vicious cycle of no exercise, and insufficient sleep.
According to the National Institute of Health 1-3 Americans possess some type of insomnia. Lack of sleep can have numerous adverse affects on the body. There is the obvious of symptom of low energy throughout the day and low cognitive output. But it also could put you at risk for heart disease, dementia and certain types of cancers. Regular moderate exercise is shown to lessen the risk of these detriments. Its also shown to assist in a deeper more restful restorative nights rest.
Imagine you woke with your alarm and started your day rather than dragging it along with snooze. You got your workout in early and had the rest of the day to tackle. Your output of energy when you complete your daily workout will help consume the energy you feel when you hit the sheets at night. All it takes is 30 minutes of moderate movement to complete the amount of physical activity recommended by the CDC to lead a healthy lifestyle. That’s 30 minutes to better sleep, better mood and a healthier stronger self.
Now on the flip side lets consider how sleep can enhance your workout. You attend a HIIT (high intensity interval training) class around lunch time. You are good about showing up and making daily movement a part of your life. But have a busy schedule and sometimes will work into the evening hours which doesn’t allow your brain time to slow down before rest. You get about 4 hours of sleep. You also find that energy during class is lacking and your muscles and joints ache. This is from lack of sleep. The CDC states that the average adult required 7-8 hours of sleep to recover from the previous day. At this point your lack of sleep is restraining your bodies ability to recover after your intense workout. This prohibits muscle growth and allows your body to store fat.
Sleep and exercise go hand in hand in a healthy lifestyle. What we need to accomplish is regulation and healthy habits in our life. We either need the courage to not hit snooze or the self discipline to put the laptop down in the evening and allow your mind and muscles to calm for bedtime.
