The new secret to unlock restful sleep: Evening exercise breaks
The importance of sleep for overall health cannot be overstated — it improves mood, boosts energy and lowers disease risk, to name just a few benefits. Yet many people struggle to achieve restful nights. In the United States, 39% of adults ages 45 to 64 report not getting enough sleep, according to a 2022 survey by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Now, a small efficacy study published July 16 in the journal BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine suggests a simple yet effective strategy to improve sleep duration: incorporating short resistance, or strength training, exercise breaks in the evening.
Based on the findings, this novel approach could transform the way people think about pre-bedtime routines and offer a practical solution for those needing more sleep.
Mini strength-training breaks in the p.m.
Conducted by researchers from the University of Otago in New Zealand, the small study investigated the impact of regular three-minute bouts of resistance exercise every 30 minutes over a four-hour period in the evening.
Wearing activity monitors, 28 healthy female nonsmokers ages 18 to 40 years old, who typically experienced prolonged sitting during the workday and in the evening, either engaged in activity breaks or remained seated for the duration in a supervised lab setting.
The findings were compelling: The participants slept an average of 27.7 minutes longer when they took regular exercise breaks compared with when they sat uninterrupted. Additionally, there were no significant differences in sleep efficiency or the number of awakenings, indicating that the short exercise sessions did not disrupt other aspects of sleep quality.
Participants in a small study slept an average of 27.7 minutes longer when they took regular exercise breaks in the evening over a four-hour period compared with when they sat uninterrupted.
Even the researchers said the results were unexpected. “Given the current sleep hygiene guidelines, we were surprised to see such a positive impact on sleep,” said lead study author Jennifer Gale, doctoral student of human nutrition at the University of Otago.
According to Gale, most traditional sleep hygiene advice discourages longer bouts of intense exercise close to bedtime because it can increase body temperature and heart rate, which is widely believed to negatively impact sleep quality. However, this study challenges that notion. “Our research found that interrupting evening sitting time with short bursts of light intensity exercise improved sleep duration and did not disrupt sleep quality,” Gale added via email.
The study’s authors suggest that it’s more about doing the right types of exercise at the right time that enhances rather than hinders sleep. The brief and less-intense nature of the study exercises means they are less likely to elevate body temperature and heart rate to levels that could potentially interfere with sleep.
Dr. Raj Dasgupta, associate professor of clinical medicine at Huntington Health in California, stressed the importance of keeping the exercises short and not too intense so they can help you sleep better without making you overly energized before bed. He was not involved in the study.
Standing knee raises engage your core muscles and improve hip strength, balance and agility.
Dasgupta said this approach could be particularly helpful for those “who spend a lot of time sitting in their daily routines, offering a simple way to combat a more sedentary lifestyle without making significant adjustments.”
Gale and her team are currently conducting a follow-up pilot study to explore the question of how to best support people in performing the right sleep-improving activity breaks at regular intervals in the evening in a real-world setting.
What is resistance training?
Resistance training, also known as strength training, involves exercises that cause muscles to contract against an external resistance. The resistance can come from your own body weight, free weights, machines or resistance bands.
Common resistance training exercises include push-ups, squats and weight lifting. These exercises are designed to improve muscle strength and endurance by working against a force.
Dasgupta said that the study used “simple and practical” resistance exercises that could be performed by most individuals. He emphasized the health benefits beyond improving sleep, adding that strength training enhances quality of life and can help you maintain independence as you age.
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