Sleep problems are quite common these days. If you are someone looking for ways to improve your sleep quality, this blog is for you. If you find it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep, exercise might be the solution you're looking for. Moderate exercise during the day can help people sleep better, but not getting enough sleep can result in lower levels of daily physical activity.
Some exercises promote more restful, high-quality sleep than others. In this blog, we’ll understand which workouts are ideal for sleep, as well as when to work out during the day, will help you get adequate sleep each night.
Walking
A good walk can solve half of your life problems and sleep could be one of them. Walking is a simple and effective way to help you sleep better. You don’t really require anything to walk, just wake up, make up your mind and go for a walk. Just take a brisk walk around your neighbourhood or at a local park.
Try to walk for about 30 minutes a day. Walking has no negative effect on sleep but try to walk in the morning or early afternoon so it doesn't interfere with your sleep.
Gentle Yoga
Yoga can do wonders for your mind and body. There are approximately 200 yoga poses or asana in contemporary yoga and all these have different effects based on the intensity. You can try some gentle yoga poses that can help you relax and destress your mind and body before bed.
You can try doing poses like Child’s Pose, Legs Up the Wall, and Cat-Cow Stretch in the beginning. You can always experiment with new poses as you gain more experience and flexibility. Doing yoga in the evening can calm your nervous system and prepare your body for sleep.
Stretching
Stretching can sound like a little warm up session before a workout but even these simple stretching exercises can help you improve your sleep quality. Stretch your arms, legs, and back to release tension in your muscles. Doing so can increase your body temperature and can help you regulate your sleep cycle.
You can add stretching to your nighttime routine, this will help you relax your body so that you can sleep better at night. Try to do some stretches about 15-30 minutes before bed.
Light Strength Training
If you are someone who loves going to the gym or doing physical activities more often, light strength training might be useful for you. You can do squats, lunges or push-ups, keep in mind to use light weights or your body weight for these exercises. One benefit of doing exercise in the late afternoon and early evening is that it can help you feel tired when bedtime comes around. Just be sure that you don’t do any intense workout too close to bedtime as it can make you feel more energised.
Cycling
Cycling is another good option. Because you can cover more ground on a bike than on foot, try bicycling to work instead of driving, which can help you include exercise into your working routine and allow you time to ponder before a hectic day. This shift also has the added benefit of helping the environment and your body, saving approximately 150 grams of carbon dioxide every kilometre. Try to cycle for 20-30 minutes a day, but make sure to finish your workout a few hours before bedtime to avoid feeling too awake.
Tips for Better Sleep Through Exercise
Try to exercise regularly, but listen to your body. Because of the bidirectional relationship between exercise and sleep, you may be less likely to engage in physical activities following a poor night's sleep. Getting enough high-quality sleep before days when you intend to exercise is an efficient approach to stick to your fitness schedule. Exercising at the same time each day can help regulate your sleep patterns.
Originally, exhausting or late-night workouts have been avoided due to the harmful impact they might have on sleep quality. Exercising during the day, in the afternoon, and within a few hours of bedtime can all help you sleep better. The same applies to moderate- and vigorous-intensity workouts. High-intensity workouts can make you too energised to sleep. Aim to finish vigorous exercise at least 3-4 hours before going to bed.
Pair exercise with other relaxing activities, like reading or taking a warm bath, to help signal to your body that it's time to wind down. A high quality mattress and pillow are always a must have for quality sleep at night. You can try using a memory foam pillow which can adjust its shape according to your head and can help keep your spine in good posture while you sleep.
Conclusion
No matter what type of exercise you prefer doing, it will help you sleep better for sure. Just make sure you are doing the exercise the correct way and not overdoing it. It is important to maintain a consistent schedule to exercise otherwise you’ll not be able to see the results.
If you suffer from neck and back pain and feel that exercising every day would be too much for you. You can always go for something light, such as jogging or taking a slow walk around the area where you live. You can invest in a memory foam pillow to relieve neck and back pain while also improving your sleep quality.