Looking for relief from nights spent tossing and turning or not being able to drift off and stay asleep? Working out can help, but new research reveals that the type you do makes a difference. It turns out, some specific forms of exercise help improve sleep more than others.
In a new study, researchers from China analyzed 22 clinical trials involving more than 13-hundred people that looked at how 13 different methods affected sleep.
- These include seven kinds of workouts: yoga, Tai chi, walking or jogging, combined aerobic and strength training, strength training alone, aerobic exercise paired with therapy, and various aerobic routines.
- Yoga is the big winner, as it was found to increase total sleep time by nearly two hours and reduce the amount of time spent awake after falling asleep by almost an hour.⠀
“Exercise can have a direct impact on our brain activity during sleep, including an increase in slow-wave sleep (the stage of sleep that is restorative) and increases our total sleep time,” explains Dr Greg Elder, associate director of Northumbria Sleep Research at Northumbria University. “This means that we have better sleep for longer.”
These four types of exercise may help anyone struggling with sleep:
- Aerobic exercise - Workouts that raise the heart and breathing rates, like cycling and running, can make falling asleep by lowering blood pressure and reducing stress. Getting your sweat sesh in five to six hours before bedtime is ideal, but try not to do it later than two hours before bed.
- Strength training - Lifting weights or working out with resistance bands can also help you sleep better.
- Yoga - The practice of stretching and breathing can boost mindfulness and lower stress, as well as relax the nervous system and improve sleep quality.
- Walking - Even a simple brisk walk in the fresh air can ease stress and anxiety, which can lower cortisol and positively affect sleep quality.
Source: The Independent