How Does Exercise Benefit Your Sleep Quality?
It has been a while since Teammates were last seen in the gym. Lisa and Sarah were working out late the night before. They discussed what to do for their next outing. Sarah said she wanted to go to the beach for the weekend and thought it would be fun to see if they could all workout together. Lisa agreed but was holding out on the water.
The next morning, the group had a great workout at the gym. Sarah’s workout consisted of running on the treadmill with Lisa sitting in the passenger seat. They were able to workout the issue by laying their heads together and pushing off with their lower bodies. Once they gained a little speed, they found that their workouts increased in intensity. Eventually, they completed numerous aerobic workouts that included swimming, rowing, biking, and stair-climbing.
The girls spent a few weeks working out together. During this time, they noticed that they were becoming more interested in each other and talking more often about future exercise plans. The researchers who conducted the study reported that physical activity was one of the factors that helped forge a supportive and lasting relationship between roommates. In addition, the girls began to take one another’s roles seriously, supporting one another during workout time, and maintaining a positive attitude about exercise throughout the weekly routine.
After several months of hard core fitness exercise, the fitness program needed to be adjusted. The girls combined their weekly workout into an alternating fashion, moving from jogging on the treadmill to stretching on their tummy muscles. As their fitness improved, they also found it easier to alternate their workout schedule between jogging on the treadmill to stretching at the gym. Although, the fitness program was not changed dramatically, the girls began to enjoy a healthier lifestyle and found themselves spending less time in the doctor’s office.
The conclusion of the study concluded that aerobic activity is essential in a healthy lifestyle. “The results suggest that there is a substantial benefit to adding strength training and aerobic activity to a weekly workout regimen,” the researchers wrote. The recommendation? Try to fit at least one hour of exercise into your daily life.
A surprising finding was that the women who were assigned to exercise for at least one hour a week lost more weight than the women who participated in exercise for only 150 minutes a week. When the researchers controlled for age, they found that the women who exercised regularly had more energy, had greater stamina and did not have more chronic disease.” And they didn’t have to give up their regular physical activity! The average person needs at least an hour of moderate-intensity exercise each week in order to remain physically active. Adding in strength training and some aerobic activity can help you do just that!
Did this study find that exercise improves sleep quality only among overweight women? Not necessarily. According to this same study, when women increased their exercise to at least one hour a week, but didn’t add any weight, they lost more sleep quality than those who participated in a lower amount of exercise but kept their weight the same. In one study found no significant difference in sleep quality between those who participated in low-impact and high-impact exercise routines. But even if exercise doesn’t improve sleep quality, it certainly can help you feel more energetic throughout the day.