You exe
rcise to lose weight, manage stress and improve the health of your heart. Muscle building activities increase the speed of your metabolism, and cardiovascular exercise improves your blood circulation. Exercising can reduce pain associated with arthritis, can boost your mood and can give you a burst of natural energy.
After weight loss surgery, exercise is supposed to become a regular aspect of your life, for the reasons listed above and more. There are a lot of benefits to exercising regularly. And to this list you can add a better night of sleep.
Exercise and Insomnia
Trouble falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep and not getting deep sleep–these are the most common aspects of insomnia, and they are symptoms that about half of the adult population will experience at some point in their life.
In 2004 researchers from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle found that being overweight increases your risk of developing insomnia, while sleep apnea, a common obesity related disease, can chronically interfere with your ability to sleep well. Exercising everyday can significantly improve your ability to get to sleep and stay asleep throughout the night.
Here are a few reasons exercise can influence your sleeping habits:
- Stress reduction: Stress can keep you awake at night, but exercising regularly can help you manage and even alleviate stress in your life.
- More natural energy: Exercising can give you a natural burst of energy, which can reduce your need for caffeine during the day. This might help you sleep better at night.
- Controls body temperature: Regular exercise can help moderate your body’s temperature, helping you to feel cool at night, which is conducive of quality sleep.
If you are having trouble sleeping, don’t try exercising right before bed. Exercise naturally boosts energy levels. While getting a good workout in early in the day can help you sleep soundly at night, a brisk walk at bedtime might make you a bit more wired than you’d care to be when trying to call it a night.
Exercise has a lot of health benefits, so if it isn’t already a regular aspect of your life, then try incorporating more activity into your days. To really experience benefits in your sleeping habits, try to exercise in 30 minute increments at least four times a week. Check with your weight loss surgeon before trying any new activity to ensure you are up to the challenge.