When we chase our fitness goal full of speed and excitement many of us focus on the diet and routine of exercises and required supplements. But there is one more crucial aspect in the journey of chasing fitness and that is sleep. The connection between sleep and fitness is very intense and great and you should understand it for better and healthy physical fitness.
In this article, we will explore the science behind the connection of sleep and fitness and also provide practical tips regarding your sleep to enhance overall fitness and performance.
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Lets understand the connection between sleep and fitness.
Sleep is a natural and fundamental biological process, It is important for carrying out our bodily functions smoothly. When we talk about physical fitness and its connection with sleep there are numerous key factors to explain. Let's see it :-
It helps muscle recovery: Taking rest is an important factor in building muscles. During deep sleep, the body repairs our damaged tissues and rebuilds muscle tissues. If you are not sleeping well enough, your muscle will not heal and that can be bad for your muscle building goal. And it will slow down your gym progress.
Regulates your hormones: Your hormones are more active during sleep hence an adequate amount of sleep is necessary to balance your hormonal health. Primary hormones which are important for muscle growth, testosterone and growth hormones both release during sleep and hence it is more important to take good sleep for muscle growth and to gain fitness results.
Energy Booster: If you sleep properly you can feel that stamina, endurance, freshness and intense energy during workouts and improper sleep leads to lower energy and poor performance at gym. Choose what you need.
Better cognitive Functions: A well rested mind can perform well. And regular sleep improves your cognitive health and decision making quality. Better sleep means better focus, good concentration, and a healthy mind to make healthy decisions with respect to your diet and workout routine.
Prevents you from injury: Improper sleeping patterns can destroy your focus in workout and reduce your reaction time and its directly connected to the injuries during workout in the gym or outdoors physical activities.
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Tips to improves sleep for better mental and physical performance:
Above we have seen the relation between physical fitness and sleep. Now let's explore some great tips to improve your sleep quality:-
Decide your sleeping and waking time: Just stick to the timings of sleeping and waking up, follow this on weekends also. By doing this your body will become used to it and will provide you definite quality sleep during that time zone.
Relaxing and calming routine of bedtime: Create any routine which gives you a relaxed and calming effect and signals your mind it's bedtime. There are many choices like meditations, reading books, soothing music, and gentle stretches.
Make your room comfortable for sleeping: It's important that your room is sleeping friendly. The color of the room should be soothing for eyes, it should be cool, dark, and peaceful and according to your comfort so that you can have an awesome sleep.
Decrease your screen time: The blue light in electronic devices like TV, Phones, Computers, is bad for eyes, It disturbs sleeping patterns and makes it difficult to sleep on time.
Take care of diet: Diet also plays a vital role in sleep quality. Some foods you should avoid while you are close to bedtime are alcohol, caffeine, and heavy meals. It makes you uncomfort and aids in sleep disturbance. Instead you should choose healthy and balanced meals.
Keep yourself Active: Regular exercises help in regular sleep but your workout should be finished 4 to 5 hr before bedtime. Then your body can understand it's time to wind up and sleep.
Manage your stress: Stress can be another crucial reason for bad sleep patterns you need to overcome with meditation, breathing exercise and incorporating yoga in your daily routine. With time it will help in better sleep. Also doing yoga or meditation and mindfulness before bedtime is effective in having good sleep.
Look For Professional help: if these tips are not working for you and you are constantly suffering from bad sleep then consult a healthcare professional. They can guide you for better sleep and healthy solutions.
In the bottom line: The relation between sleep and fitness performance cannot be ignored. Good quality sleep is important to achieve your fitness goals. Giving priority to healthy sleeping habits improves your muscle recovery, keeps your hormones in balance, improves cognitive performance and prevents you from injuries.
By implementing tips for healthy sleep given in this article will definitely help you in unlocking your full fitness potential and makes it easy to achieve your fitness goals and improves overall health. Always remember sleep does not reduce your productivity, it can be a powerful tool you can use in your fitness journey.