Exercise
to Improve Sleep and Stress Management
Exercise is good for sleep. Research has documented the
benefits of exercise to improving sleep patterns. Exercise lifts mood and
reduces stress. It can strengthen circadian
rhythms, promoting daytime alertness and helping bring on sleepiness at night.
Exercise has been shown to improve sleep for people with sleep disorders,
including insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea. A recent
National Sleep Foundation poll found that regular exercisers were
significantly more likely to report sleeping well
on most nights than people who were not physically active. Research has shown
exercise can help to improve not only the quantity of sleep but also the
quality: studies show daytime physical activity may stimulate
longer periods of slow-wave sleep, the deepest and most restorative stages of
sleep.
People who regularly hit the gym sleep better
and feel more alert during the day than those who are not as physically active,
according to a new study. The results showed that people who did 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous
activity a week reported a 65-percent improvement in sleep
quality. "Physical activity may not just be good for the waistline and
heart, but it also can help you sleep," study researcher Brad Cardinal,
professor of exercise science at Oregon State University, said in a statement. Participants
who worked out for at least 150 minutes also said that they felt less drowsy
during the daytime, compared with those who were less physically active.
Better
than meds
Cardinal and his colleagues studied a nationally representative
sample of more than 2,600 men and women between the ages of 18 and 85. They
study adds to the evidence showing that "regular physical activity may
serve as a non-pharmaceutical alternative to improve sleep," Cardinal
said. The study showed that the risk of often feeling overly sleepy during the
day dropped by 65 percent for the more active participants. The study authors
noted that the national guideline that recommends getting 150 minutes of
moderate to vigorous activity a week was originally set to improve cardiovascular
health, but their findings show that that level of exercise has
other health benefits as well. Approximately 35 percent to 40 percent of adults
in the U.S. have problems falling asleep or experience daytime sleepiness,
according to the National Institutes of Health.
Too
tired to workout?
The researchers also found that participants who met the
physical activity guidelines were 68 percent less likely to experience leg
cramps while sleeping, and 45 percent less likely to have difficulty concentrating when
tired. If you often experience daytime drowsiness, it may seem contradictory to
spend even more of your lagging energy by going for a run or attending a Zumba
class, but such physical exertion will actually make you feel more awake,
according to the researchers. "There are trade-offs. It may be easier when
you are tired to skip the workout and go to sleep, but it may be beneficial for
your long-term health to make the hard decision and get your exercise,"
Cardinal said. The study will be published in the December issue of the journal
Mental Health and Physical Activity. Pass it on: People who get at least 150
minutes of exercise a week sleep better and feel more alert during the day than
those that are not as physically active.
You know that exercise does your body good,
but you're too busy and stressed to fit it into your routine. Hold on a second
— there's good news when it comes to exercise and stress. Virtually any form of
exercise, from aerobics to yoga, can act as a stress reliever. If you're not an
athlete or even if you're out of shape, you can still make a little exercise go
a long way toward stress management. Discover the connection between exercise
and stress relief — and why exercise should be part of your stress management
plan.
Exercise and stress relief
Exercise increases your overall health and
your sense of well-being, which puts more pep in your step every day. But
exercise also has some direct stress-busting benefits.
·
It
pumps up your endorphins. Physical
activity helps bump up the production of your brain's feel-good
neurotransmitters, called endorphins. Although this function is often referred
to as a runner's high, a rousing game of tennis or a nature hike also can
contribute to this same feeling.
·
It's
meditation in motion. After a
fast-paced game of racquetball or several laps in the pool, you'll often find
that you've forgotten the day's irritations and concentrated only on your
body's movements. As you begin to regularly shed your daily tensions through
movement and physical activity, you may find that this focus on a single task,
and the resulting energy and optimism, can help you remain calm and clear in
everything you do.
·
It
improves your mood. Regular exercise
can increase self-confidence, it can relax you, and it can lower the symptoms
associated with mild depression and anxiety. Exercise can also improve your
sleep, which is often disrupted by stress, depression and anxiety. All of these
exercise benefits can ease your stress levels and give you a sense of command
over your body and your life.
Aerobic and endurance exercise
Aerobic exercise is key for your head, just as it is for your
heart. You may not agree at first; indeed, the first steps are the hardest, and
in the beginning, exercise will be more work than fun. But as you get into shape,
you'll begin to tolerate exercise, then enjoy it, and finally depend on it.
Regular aerobic exercise will bring remarkable changes to your
body, your metabolism, your heart, and your spirits. It has a unique capacity
to exhilarate and relax, to provide stimulation and calm, to counter depression
and dissipate stress. It's a common experience among endurance athletes and has
been verified in clinical trials that have successfully used exercise to treat
anxiety disorders and clinical depression. If athletes and patients can derive
psychological benefits from exercise, so can you.
How can exercise contend with problems as difficult as anxiety
and depression? There are several explanations, some chemical, others
behavioral. The mental benefits of aerobic exercise have a neurochemical basis.
Exercise reduces levels of the body's stress hormones, such as adrenaline and
cortisol. It also stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the
brain that are the body's natural painkillers and mood elevators. Endorphins
are responsible for the "runner's high" and for the feelings of
relaxation and optimism that accompany many hard workouts — or, at least, the
hot shower after your exercise is over.
Behavioral factors also contribute to the emotional benefits of
exercise. As your waistline shrinks and your strength and stamina increase,
your self-image will improve. You'll earn a sense of mastery and control, of
pride and self-confidence. Your renewed vigor and energy will help you succeed
in many tasks, and the discipline of regular exercise will help you achieve
other important lifestyle goals. Exercise and sports also provide opportunities
to get away from it all and to either enjoy some solitude or to make friends
and build networks. "All men," wrote St. Thomas Aquinas, "need
leisure." Exercise is play and recreation; when your body is busy, your
mind will be distracted from the worries of daily life and will be free to
think creatively.
Almost any type of exercise will help. Many people find that
using large muscle groups in a rhythmic, repetitive fashion works best; call it
"muscular meditation," and you'll begin to understand how it works.
Walking and jogging are prime examples. Even a simple 20-minute stroll can
clear the mind and reduce stress. But some people prefer vigorous workouts that
burn stress along with calories. That's one reason ellipticals are so popular.
And the same stretching exercises that help relax your muscles after a hard
workout will help relax your mind as well.
Exercise, health, and stress
Few things are more stressful than illness. Many forms of
exercise reduce stress directly, and by preventing bodily illness, exercise has
extra benefits for the mind. Regular physical activity will lower your blood
pressure, improve your cholesterol, and reduce your blood sugar. Exercise cuts
the risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, colon and breast cancers,
osteoporosis and fractures, obesity, depression, and even dementia (memory
loss). Exercise slows the aging process, increases energy, and prolongs life.
Except during illness, you should exercise nearly every day.
That doesn't necessarily mean hitting the gym or training for a marathon. But
it does mean 30 to 40 minutes of moderate exercise such as walking or 15 to 20
minutes of vigorous exercise. More is even better, but the first steps provide
the most benefit. Aim to walk at least two miles a day, or do the equivalent
amount of another activity. You can do it all at once or in 10- to 15-minute
chunks if that fits your schedule better. Add a little strength training and
stretching two to three times a week, and you'll have an excellent, balanced
program for health and stress reduction. And if you need more help with stress,
consider autoregulation exercises involving deep breathing or muscular relaxation.
Remember, too, that mental exercises are the time-honored ways to cut stress.
Popular beliefs notwithstanding, exercise is relaxing.
Sources:
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