Senior exercises for better sleep can definitely open up a new world for you. In fact, exercise and good, sound, restful sleep goes together like the moon and the stars.
But, to be honest, I need to preface that statement with this one word…regular. The truth is that for any exercise to produce positive and noticeable results — the exercise needs to be on a regular basis.
Senior Exercises for Better Sleep Must Be Regular
Just in case it’s slipped your mind, if you’re not accustomed to 30-45 minutes of exercise, it will put you to bed. With a lot of sore muscles and a hot water bottle.
On the other hand, when you start out gently and continue some sort of focused physical activity 3-5 times a week, you’ll be surprised at:
- How much better you feel all the time
- How much better you sleep
- How much more rested you are all day
- How much better your arthritis is
- How much better your moods are
- A good chance of your blood pressure and blood work improving
All of this from a few minutes of exercise, and without sore muscles.
You just can’t get around the fact that:
The more physically active you are during the day, the more quickly you fall into a deep slumber at night!
3 Ways Exercise Helps Your Sleep
1. Sleep Without Constantly Waking
Your body and mind travel through numerous sleep cycles and phases when you sleep at night. Many times, the problem of waking up too often during the night is waking with each sleep cycle.
2. Exercise Releases Stress
Research and sleep studies constantly indicate that physical activity during the day helps promote sleep at night.
One reason this is true is:
Because regular exercise increases your capacity to deal with life’s stress and tension.
The same stress and tension that interrupts your sleep all night.
What a win-win tradeoff! You spend time exercising your body, and it gives back to you more serenity and peace of mind!
When you release the stress and go to bed relaxed — sleep comes quicker, more thorough, and better.
That’s a mouthful, but nevertheless it is true!
3. Exercise Helps Turns off the Head Chatter that’s Keeping You Awake
Most seniors know what it’s like to lay in bed at night and simply not be able to get to sleep? Tossing and turning without the ability to you turn off your thoughts and conversations in your head. And just sleep.
And then when it’s time to get up, you feel like you’ve been working all night. Too tired, fatigued, and sleepy to enjoy the day, and not able to sleep is the pits.
Stop popping sleeping pills and over the counter sleep aids (that don’t work anyway). Instead, increase your regular physical activity during the day to start sleeping like a baby again.
Your goal is to stimulate your body during waking hours with exercise in order to deplete your energy resources and relax by bedtime.
3 guidelines for Maximum Sleep Benefits from Exercising!
- Best Time to Exercise? The most ideal times to exercise are in the late afternoon or early evening! Your goal is to expend most of your physical energy long before it is time to prepare for a night’s sleep.
- How Often to Exercise? Make it your habit to work through an exercise routine at least three or four time a week.
- Remember though, don’t subscribe to the maxim popular at professional gyms around the globe. Do not practice “no pain, no gain!”
- Your objective is not to spend the day following your exercise periods being stiff and aching from exertion. Work into your self-designed program slowly and easily.
- What Does Regular Exercise Do? The goal of regular exercise is to increase your heart rate and strengthen the capacity of your lungs. Do it sensibly!
- Regular exercise will help improve your overall health, well-being, and sleep patterns.
- A great side effect will be that you will notice a marked improvement in your emotional outlook on life.
Are you suffering from insomnia? Mr. Sandman loves Aerobic exercises!
……..we do know that moderate aerobic exercise increases the amount of slow wave sleep you get. Slow wave sleep refers to deep sleep, where the brain and body have a chance to rejuvenate.
John Hopkins Medicine
There are numerous types of aerobic exercises for you to choose from:
- Walking
- Running
- Biking
- Treadmills
- Stationary exercise bikes
- Jumping rope
- Swimming
- Dancing
Two things to be aware of when it comes to exercising:
- Pay attention to the timing of your exercise. Most any physical activity will tend to release endorphins (feel good hormones). It’s great to feel good and have your mood lifted, but not just when you’re trying to get to sleep. Give yourself no less than 2 hours between finishing your activity and going to bed.
- Exercise may naturally wake you up. Exercise gets your blood flowing, which naturally warms your body. Some people find that this warming affect wakes them.
Maybe neither of those will be a problem for you, and even be a sleep aid in your case. But, if you find exercise is not helping, be sure to think about the time between the two activities.
What about your Joints?
Are you having problems with your joints being afflicted with aches and pains? Does it reduce your ability to participate in aerobic exercises?
Here’s two ways to stay active with arthritic joints:
- Knee Sleeves. If arthritic knees have slowed your lifestyle down to the point that you avoid activities you love, knee sleeves help millions of people. Do they cure arthritis? Absolutely not! But if you try one, you may well think you’ve found a miracle.
- Tai Chi. There is an exercise that can help you. It was developed by Chinese monks centuries ago. It is called Tai Chi! It is an ancient art of breathing and movement. The movements are slow and precise. This is perfect if you have painful joints. Modern medical research has demonstrated that Tai Chi can effectively eliminate insomnia by promoting physical and mental relaxation.
Senior exercises should be practiced regularly and become a life style, and not a random event. Live long, and live well!
Senior exercises are a pathway to better sleep!
Summary
Wondering just how much exercise you need to improve your sleep, or how long before you see results?
Research findings indicate that if you get 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, you could well get better sleep that very night. (Remember, research may not take into account the amount of physical activity you’re used to getting? *Start off with the knowledge of your own fitness level. *)
No matter your age, the quality of sleep you get has a profound effect on the quality of life you live.
You don’t need to see yourself as training for a sporting event to get better sleep. Just make it a point to start exercising for a few minutes every day and think about the timing and how it affects your sleep patterns.
And remember that Senior Exercises for Better Sleep is a New Lease on Life