Sleep and fitness go hand-in-hand. When you schedule your workouts, you know that warming up properly and stretching afterward is crucial for you to progress in your fitness. However, what you do outside the gym is just as necessary, such as nutrition, stress levels, and, most importantly, sleep. It is proven that individuals have to sleep to progress in their fitness.
We exercise for our health, to help build muscle and keep our body functioning at its best. Whatever your fitness goal is, sleep is a critical part of how to get there. If you don’t include sleep as a priority, you won’t achieve the fitness goals you’re working towards!
We all know the feeling of waking up tired, sluggish and knowing that you didn’t get your whole night’s sleep. Studies show that it’s essential for us to receive seven to nine hours of deep sleep each night. When this need is not met, we start to see unwanted side effects such as:
Combating the body’s need for sleep with caffeine can also detriment your body’s natural circadian rhythms when consumed too late in the day. There are many different cycles of sleep that we go through, such as REM sleep. REM sleep, also known as Rapid Eye Movement sleep, is one the most critical parts of a good night’s rest- due to the benefits of our bodies processing information and storing memory accurately. So long story short – skipping out on your zzz’s is more detrimental to your physical and mental wellbeing is short-term and long-term standards.
The more rested you are, your mind and body function properly – including your hard-hitting workouts. Having a set sleep schedule helps you stay motivated to stick to your health and wellness goals. Getting enough sleep for your body drives more strength at the gym and enables you to focus and concentrate more easily outside of the gym.
If you aren’t prioritizing your sleep, it is shown that your workouts can seem harder. Although sleep deprivation doesn’t affect your cardiovascular system or muscle strength directly, you will fatigue faster. This makes those intense HIIT Group Fitness classes harder to work out at “max capacity.”
Many factors can interfere with sleep. From stressful events at work to screen time late at night, here are a few tips to meet your seven hours of sleep and stay on track for your fitness schedule!
Now’s your time to redefine your life with FIT. The FIT experience is not only premium amenities, all-star PT training, or unlimited group fitness- it’s a lifestyle to bring all pillars of health together. Our FIT community is here to encourage everyone to be the best version of themselves!
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