Exercise
We all know exercise is good for heart health and weight loss but today we’re talking about the roll exercise plays in some different ways like stress, anxiety, and sleep!
Regular exercise produces mood-boosting hormones that help with anxiety and depression as well as improving long-term memory and promoting new brain cell growth and of course, sleep.
Sleep
Interestingly enough, stress and anxiety effect sleep. So if exercise can reduce stress and anxiety, logic says it will help sleep. But there’s even more to it!
Exercise and deep sleep
When you sleep, you experience different cycles or phases. The slow-wave or ‘deep sleep’ phase is the most physically restorative phase. There is conflicting evidence whether a specific amount of sleep matters but the experts all agree that getting DEEP sleep is the key to better health, mood, and energy.
Regular physical activity has been shown to increase the time spent in this deep, slow-wave phase, improving your overall quality of sleep. As a result, you wake up feeling refreshed and restored.
Stress relief
Undertaking regular exercise is a potent remedy for anxiety. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, those ‘feel-good’ chemicals’ that interact with receptors in your brain to help ward off anxiety and feelings of depression. Moving your body also helps to decrease muscle tension, a physical symptom of anxiety.
Exercise improves memory function, cognitive performance and academic achievement. Studies also suggest regular exercise has a moderate effect on depressive symptoms even comparable to psychotherapy. For anxiety disorders, this effect is mild to moderate in reducing anxiety symptoms.
The is an interesting Ted Talk discussing the science behind exercise its brain changing abilities.
When to exercise and for how long
Consider your lifestyle and habits when deciding what works best for you. In most cases, just 20-30 minutes of moving your body makes a difference.
If you’re an early bird
The best thing about morning exercise is you’re done for the day and other distractions can’t get in the way. A recent study revealed people who exercise in the morning are more consistent, compared with those who exercise at other times of the day. The same study showed morning exercisers burned a greater proportion of stored body fat, which is ideal for weight loss. If you suffer from sleep apnea (breathing difficulties during sleep), losing weight can also help improve this condition.
Another benefit of getting up early in the morning to exercise is that the energy you create will sustain you throughout the day, improving your concentration and mental alertness. (More on circadian rhythms later)
Tip: Lay out your exercise clothes the night before, keep your workout close to home and, just like your coffee, it’ll soon become an entrenched part of your morning routine.
If you’re a night owl
If you struggle to get up for early morning workouts, then end your day on an endorphin high. Afternoon or early evening exercise can be a great way to de-stress after a long day. Also, your body temperature is at its peak, which is linked to improved physical performance.
Tip: Schedule a workout in the afternoon or early evening and treat it like a meeting or appointment — not to be missed. We love an after-dinner walk around the block as a family…another great way to unwind (and also tire the kids out).
The bottom line
If you want better sleep, make regular exercise a habit. Remember, a workout any time of day is better than no exercise at all. Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster, improve sleep quality and provide other benefits such as improved mental and overall health.
referenced from healthyfood.com