Have you forgotten what it feels like to wake up rested? Waking up feeling sluggish and lethargic seems to happen more often than not these days, so what gives?

Read on as our team at AFC Urgent Care Athens, TN provides some helpful information regarding the positive effects exercise can have on a good night’s rest.

How Does Exercise Help Me Sleep?

Exercise and sleep go hand in hand, really. If you sleep well, you are more likely to feel energized enough to exercise, and if you exercise more, your body feels more tired and primed and ready for a good night’s sleep.

Exercise works to help us drift off to sleep, sleep more heavily and sleep for longer. It also helps to manage other factors that can lead to poor sleep such as anxiety and weight gain, which are linked with sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea. Staying active also provides many other lifestyle benefits.

Positive Effects of Staying Active

• Reduces risk of heart attack
• Lower blood cholesterol level
• Lowers risk of Type 2 Diabetes
• Builds stronger bones, which decreases the risk of osteoporosis
• Lifts your mood and changes chemical levels in your brain such as serotonin, endorphins and stress hormones.

How Much Exercise Should I Get?

Experts say that at least 150 minutes a week has been shown to improve your sleep quality and decrease your chances of contracting illness. If 150 minutes seems like a daunting number, it can be broken down into five 30-minute workouts a week.

If you don’t want to do it alone, bring a friend along with you to exercise. Exercising with a partner helps build community and gives you more motivation to be consistent.

Good Workouts for Inducing Sleep

• Running for 10 minutes with moderate intensity
• Brisk walking for 30 minutes
• Yoga for 45 minutes
• Swimming for 10 minutes with moderate intensity

We hope you’ve found this helpful! If you’re in need of medical attention, come see us at AFC Urgent Care Athens, TN today!