The Link Between Sleep and Fitness for Better Performance

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of getting in shape? If you answered, “hitting the gym,” “running miles,” or “lifting heavy weights,” well, that’s mostly true. 

Most of us think workouts, sweat, and maybe even a strict diet can help us be fitter, but there’s one more important thing that we often overlook – getting enough sleep!

Without proper sleep, all the hard work you’re putting in at the fitness classes might not give you the result you want! Exercise and sleep influence each other, and together, they fuel your mood, energy, and overall health and well-being. 

If you wanna know how they are interconnected and why both matter just as much, you can keep reading this blog, where we’ll discuss everything you need to know about the relationship between fitness and sleep!

How Sleep Influences Your Workout Ability & Fitness

Have you ever gone to the gym after staying up all night? Well, then, you already know how tedious it feels! Sleep isn’t just rest; it’s recovery, too. During sleep, your body does some of the most important things, like:

• Rebuilding muscle tissues,
• Balancing hormones,
• Improving your energy level,
• Reducing stress,
• Resetting your nervous system, and so on.

All this helps your body get stronger, leaner, and healthier. If you’re a fan of lifting weights, trying to lose a few pounds, or even training for heavy lifting, quality sleep is something that can help you push yourself to achieve more!

Plus, sleep can also affect your motivation. Skipping proper sleep can make everything seem harder than it is. Your 45-minute spin class might feel like a marathon, and even your warm-up session can feel exhausting. 

So, sleep helps you exercise in a better and more effective way, ultimately increasing your fitness level!

How Can Exercise & Being Fit Help You Sleep Better?

By now, we know that proper sleep can help you feel more energetic in your workout session, make your exercise regimen easier and more effective, ultimately improving your overall fitness. But it’s also the other way around! Exercising and being fit can help you sleep better, too. 

You might have already noticed that when you come out of your fitness classes or your local gym, you feel tired and sleepy instantly. That’s not your imagination, as being physically active, fit, and doing regular exercise are the most natural ways to improve your sleep quality. Here’s how doing exercises and increasing your fitness level can help you sleep better:

1. It Regulates Your Sleep Hormones 

When you exercise more, your body produces more melatonin, a hormone that helps in regulating your sleep-wake cycle. So, when you exercise more, you sleep better.

2. It Lowers Stress and Anxiety 

We’ve all had those nights where stress keeps us tossing and turning. But regular physical activity, like a workout session, can reduce your stress hormone (cortisol) and produce more feel-good hormones (endorphins). So you’ll feel calmer and more relaxed, and this will help you sleep better every night.

3. It Regulates Your Body Temperature 

During exercise, your body temperature rises, and when you’re done with it, your body temperature cools down (30-90 minutes later). This cooling-down process can mimic your body’s natural pre-sleep drop in temperature, ultimately making it easier for you to fall asleep.

4. It Lifts Your Mood

Doing exercise can improve your mental health, help you have more positive emotions, and reduce mental fatigue. So, your mind won’t be racing at night when you try to fall asleep, and this can help you sleep easily and peacefully.

5. It Improves Sleep Duration and Quality 

Did you know that if you exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, it can help you fall asleep easily and even extend your sleep by an average of 15 minutes? Well, it might not sound like much, but over time, it can positively affect your energy, focus, and mood.

Ready to sweat? Sign up at Sports West Athletic Club for a fitter tomorrow!

Does Exercise Timing Influence Sleep?

The short answer is yes, it does. Exercising is a great way to improve your sleep, but the timing of your workout can play a big role in how well you rest at night.

1. How Morning and Afternoon Workouts Can Help You

If you exercise earlier in the day, it can help regulate your circadian rhythm, which is your internal body clock. Working out in the morning or afternoon can give your body enough natural energy when you need it the most and can also help you wind down by bedtime. So, it’s a win-win!

2. Are Evening Workouts Effective For Sleep?

Well, evening workouts can still work, but you gotta do it with a little caution. For some people, exercising too close to bedtime (especially high-intensity stuff like heavy lifting) can make it difficult to fall asleep. 

The reason is simple: during exercise, your heart rate’s high, adrenaline’s pumping, and your core temperature hasn’t dropped yet. However, some people can do a 7 p.m. workout and still be snoring by 10 p.m.

If late-day workouts are your only option, you can try lighter activities like:

• Yoga,
• Stretching,
• A Walk,
• Bodyweight exercises, but with slower pacing.

These can still help you get fitter without impacting your sleep schedule.

But at the end of the day, it’s best to listen to your body to know how it responds to your exercise timing and then set your exercise routine!

Read More About:

• 7 Proven Tips For Consistent Workout Success
• 5 Important Signs That Indicate You Need A Rest Day
• How Long Should I Wait To Workout After I Eat?
• Avoid These 7 Common Workout Mistakes

Takeaway

Fitness and sleep go hand in hand as one fuels the other. When you sleep better at night, it gives you energy to exercise better, reduces stress, helps your muscles recover, and improves your fitness level. Also, if you exercise regularly and stay fit, it can help improve your sleep quality & duration, mental health, and mood, regulate your body temperature, and regulate your sleep hormones better. 

Plus, the timing of your exercise is also important, as it can impact how easily you fall asleep and how relaxing your sleep is.

Ready For Your First Free Workout? Call Us Now!

Train Smarter and Feel Stronger with Sports West Athletic Club!

At Sports West Athletic Club & Spa, we offer a premier luxury gym and athletic club for our customers to train and get fitter. We have one of the best fitness classes in Reno, NV, that’ll suit all your fitness needs! 

Plus, you can come to our studio at any time of the day, as we’re open 24/7 for you. With 35+ years of experience, we pride ourselves on creating a welcoming and result-driven environment for all fitness lovers out there. We also offer personal training in Reno, NV, tailored to your goals and fitness level. Come to us and get a supportive environment and luxury fitness equipment, all under one roof. Call us now at 775-348-6666.