Does Working Out Actually Help You Sleep?
Do you struggle with getting to sleep? Or maybe you can fall asleep but staying asleep is the problem? Ever wondered if working out actually helps you sleep – well lets find out!
30 Mins A Day, Boosts Endorphins Hurray!
Ever been on a really long walk somewhere, got home, dropped on the sofa and not been able to keep your eyes open? I know I have! Walking for just 30 minutes a day outdoors boost endorphins, improves your cardiovascular and helps sleep quality by increasing the amount of time spent in a deep sleep. Deep sleep is so important for physically restoring your body and helping muscle growth.
YOGAt Nothing To Stress About
Babe we know life can sometimes be stressful whether that’s work, studying, family or relationships and stress is a common reason why we may struggle to sleep at night. Yoga is a mind and body exercise that uses physical poses, meditation and controlled breathing (also burns quite a few calories you’d be surprised). Yoga can really help reduce stress or anxiety and clear your mind, putting you in a relaxed state before bed.
Gym Time or Bed Time?
Now even though exercising helps sleep, exercising at the wrong time can disrupt sleep. So how do we find the right time to exercise you might ask. Well, the average person goes to bed around 10pm, its best to exercise at least 5hrs before bed as exercising can actually wake you up from feeling tired. The best time to exercise is in the morning as it wakes you up better than a coffee would, it can put you in a really good mood for the day which means you are more likely to make better food choices, it BOOSTS your metabolism throughout the day and puts you in a higher energy expenditure leaving you ready to hit the hay by the time you get home.
Don’t Over Do It
Coming from personal experience, it might be surprising but over exercising can actually cause sleep problems too. Exercising too much which left me drained by 12pm and then using caffeine to keep me awake throughout the day only kept me up at night. Try to avoid using caffeine too close to the time you want to be a sleep by, as this can disrupt sleep too.
If you don’t already, try spending some time to exercise each day and see if you notice a difference in your sleep. Remember reduce the caffeine, don’t over do it, try sticking to morning workouts and try out a local yoga class! Putting all this into practice not only gives you a little control, but also your eating habits too as less sleep makes it harder to control your appetite.
