Exercise: Your Pathway to Better Sleep and Overall Health

Exercise: perhaps even just the thought of it makes you feel languid. But making time for that quick morning jog in the park might be more useful than you think if you struggle with getting some decent shut-eye.

Studies have shown that people sleep significantly better and feel more alert during the day if they get at least 150 minutes of exercise a week. Whether it be cycling to work, playing football with some mates or hitting the gym, it appears that physical exertion is an effective and non-pharmaceutical solution to common sleep problems.

Counter-intuitive though it sounds, those who do less physical activity consequently find themselves more tired in the day, despite having done less. Although exercise isn’t quite as effective a remedy as sleeping pills, it is unequivocally far safer (unless of course your sport of choice is extreme snowboarding), as well as having beneficial spillover effects such as increased fitness (duh) and improved mental health. No-one likes having a restless night, but it is more common for some than others; for example, those who suffer from sleep apnoea or restless leg syndrome.

Luckily, exercise can help here too! It has been proven to ameliorate restless leg symptoms across all age groups, as well as reducing the symptoms of sleep apnoea by up to 25%. Furthermore, exercise plays a strong preventative function by drastically reducing the likelihood of developing insomnia in the future. Exercising outside is also highly recommended, given that exposure to natural light in the daytime helps with regulation of the internal body clock. And no, it doesn’t need to be an especially back-breaking or gruelling workout – something as simple as briskly walking or lightly cycling will do the trick; you don’t need to look like The Rock to get a relaxing forty winks. So what are you waiting for? Run along now.