How Sleep Improves Your Workouts

We know that a good workout can give you a good sleep, but what does sleep do for exercise? Below is four reasons that sleep is amazing for your workouts:

It gives you energy   

 Without proper sleep, you have more trouble focusing and paying attention which can impact the overall quality of your workout. With a good amount of sleep, gives you the focus and energy to crush all your reps and sets the gym!¹ Working out is seen to improve workout duration and participation, proving that it is necessary for a healthy and active lifestyle.² No matter if your exercise routine involves intense cardio, has heavy weights or consists of a light yoga session, good sleep will give you the energy to make the workout worth it.

It boosts your mood

Your mental state plays a large role in giving you the motivation to even get your exercise clothes on. The step in simply starting your workout can be a difficult feat, but one that be easily won with better sleep. Once starting your workout, the stronger you believe you are, the more effective you will be, and proper sleep helps bring you the mood boost to get you through!³

It grows your muscles

 During the many stages of sleep, muscles within the body are positively impacted, so the more sleep you can get, the stronger your body gets. In the stage one, muscle memory is stored, allowing for better workouts in the future.

 In stage two, growth of muscle tissue increases, and the body’s metabolism becomes regulated, making you stronger and causing your workouts to be more efficient.

 In stage three, muscles and joints go through a recovery and process which allows them to function optimally the next day.

 In stage four, oxygen travels to the muscles to help remove lactic acid (which is produced during exercise and is required to be broken down). At this time, any minor muscle injuries are repaired, putting you in the best state for your next workout.⁴  

It supplies you with stamina

 Without a rewarding sleep, some workouts are not worth it as you tire out and do not give it your all. Not getting enough sleep is shown to cause you to fatigue faster, which does not benefit you in terms of muscle growth or calorie burning. One study found that participants who didn’t sleep well had decreased endurance and completed less cardio, showing that sleep is an important factor in stamina and a good workout!⁵

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References

1 https://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness/intimate-relationship-between-fitness-sleep/

2 Improved exercise duration and participation

3 https://www.sleephelp.org/mood-emotions-sleep/

4 https://www.dreams.co.uk/sleep-matters-club/what-happens-to-your-body-during-8-hours-of-sleep-2/

5  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2657963