Need A Good Night's Sleep? Here Are Three Workouts That Can Help You Get Better Shut-Eye Regular exercise can help reduce stress, boost alertness during the day, and even improve your sleep quality.
By May Rostom
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"You snooze, you lose!" That's a rather common phrase to hear around the office in any business setting. Successful entrepreneurs sacrifice more than just money when setting up a business. Especially during the early stages of launching, sleep and exercise slide down the priority list of many entrepreneurs. However, what most entrepreneurs don't know is that they can hit two birds with one stone if they can manage to set aside an hour for working out.
The health benefits of working out are endless. Regular exercise can help reduce stress, boost alertness during the day, and even improve your sleep quality. With World Sleep Day taking place on the 13th March, there's no better time than to think about our sleep patterns, and introduce certain workouts to help support a better night's sleep. Here are three activities Fitness First Elite Master Trainer Abhinav Malhotra suggests you take up to ensure this:
1. CARDIO EXERCISES
Aerobic exercises have been proven to ensure quality sleep and battle insomnia. Activities that get your heart rate up are perfect for supporting sleep as it allows good blood flow and secretion of the "happy hormones' called endorphins which facilitate better sleep. It can increase alertness throughout the day. 20-minutes of moderate-intensity workouts or a 10-minute high-intensity workout can help maximize energy levels and maintain regular sleep.
Fitness First, The Palm's KUBE is a great way to keep the heart rate up, suggests Malhotra. A boutique HIIT studio without walls, KUBE consists of 4 stations featuring a range of specialist equipment for various cardio and muscle building exercises, including the VersaClimber cardio machine, the Fitbench multipurpose workout bench, and the Octane AirdyneX fitness exercise bike. Each station is a game-changer when it comes to building strength and fitness. KUBE's workout routine has a remarkable impact on the body which ensures improvement in sleep, mood, and energy.
Related: Fit And Fine: Six Simple (Yet Effective) Exercises You Can Do At Your Desk
2. STRENGTH TRAINING
Strength training has countless benefits. It can help build stronger muscles, sculpt bodies, regulate blood sugar levels, decrease stress, improve mental health and even improve bone health. It also has been shown to improve the quality of sleep as well as the control frequency of waking up throughout the night.
According to recent studies, lifting weights and strength training in the morning can help people fall asleep 45 minutes faster and lifting weights in the evening can improve the quality of one's night sleep.
3. YOGA
Yoga is perfect for relaxing both the body and mind. Known to be a key stress-relieving activity, it helps improve breathing, increase good energy, mental stability and regulate sleep patterns. Yoga, in particular, works on the parasympathetic nervous system which has a calming and restorative effect on the body.
According to Malhotra, Fitness First, The Palm's brand-new Hot Studio delivers all the benefits of traditional yoga classes but in a hot environment. The innovative studio is powered by an ingenious infrared heating system that warms the body directly rather than heating the air. A range of "hot" classes including Hot Power Vinyasa, yoga with weights, and restorative yoga all work to strengthen the cardiovascular system by increasing the heart rate while eliminating toxins, which in turn helps regulate brain functions and maintain regular required hours of sleep.
BONUS TIPS!
- Practice parasympathetic breathing (deep and relaxing breathing) before bedtime
- Sleep in a dark and cool room
- Do not expose yourself to blue light emanating from screens before a night's sleep
- Plan and eat a healthy, well-balanced diet
- Avoid caffeine and sugary items during the night
- Consume supplements such as magnesium and Ashwagandha past dinner
Related: Feeling Meh? Here's How You Can Break Free From Your Routine
