Sleep is essential to your exercise and weight loss routine
Have you heard about Louis? He is a fitness geek. He goes
for a jog every morning and hits the gym in the evening. He follows a strict diet
too. Still, whenever he checks his weight on the scale, he
discovers that he just can’t shake those extra kilos.
Do you face a similar problem? Even when you follow your
fitness regime daily, do you end up with minimal results? Or worse, does
following a fitness program completely drain you of energy?
If yes, then it could be that you’re ignoring the most
underrated fact of staying in good shape – Sleep
Impact of poor
sleep on your weight loss routine
“The
poorer the quality of your sleep, the bigger the size of your pants.” – Rujuta
Diwekar, a leading nutritionist & exercise science expert
Sleeping means recovery. When you sleep, you are
recovering from the mental and physical stresses of the day.
If you don’t get adequate sleep, you wake up half-exhausted as if you haven’t slept at all. This can be owed to a number of things, including unhealthy sleep hygiene and the fact that it’s time to replace your mattress. (Did you know mattresses should be replaced every eight to 10 years?)
When you wake up tired, you have strong cravings for tea
or coffee first thing in the morning, which is unhealthy because caffeine
contains dehydrating properties. These cravings continue throughout the day and
you end up seeking out more caffeinated beverages, sweets, chocolates and other
carbs.
Sleep deprivation decreases your willpower, making it more
difficult to deny fast food.
Reverse effects of poor sleep on
exercise
As you know, when you exercise, your muscles break down
and they require recovery time. If you don’t sleep, your muscles don’t get the
opportunity to recover from the strain.
In the study of ACSM, 12 athletes went without a proper
night’s rest. The next day, participants found that while they could engage in
mental activities like music, reading, watching movies, etc., they didn’t have
enough energy to effectively participate in physical activities.
Yes, nutritional supplements and foods high in protein
will help you recover, but nothing can substitute a proper sleep.
Additionally, exercising when your body is tired can lead
to unnecessary injuries which ultimately derail your fitness and weight loss
plans!
Consistent deep-sleep gives you a
fresh start for every day
An active mind and body helps you make healthy diet
choices and keeps you energized and motivated to embrace your exercise
programme. The Sealy suggestion? Every time you take on a new eating plan or
exercise regime, be sure to include at least seven to eight of sleep as a
mandatory part of that plan. Healthy diet, exercise and sleep go hand in hand.