The new secret to unlock restful sleep: Evening exercise breaks

(CNN) — The importance of sleep for overall health cannot be overstated — it improves mood, boosts energy and lowers disease risk, to name just a few benefits. Yet many people struggle to achieve restful nights. In the United States, 39% of adults ages 45 to 64 report not getting enough sleep, according to a 2022 survey by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Now, a small efficacy study published July 16 in the journal BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine suggests a simple yet effective strategy to improve sleep duration: incorporating short resistance, or strength training, exercise breaks in the evening.

Based on the findings, this novel approach could transform the way people think about pre-bedtime routines and offer a practical solution for those needing more sleep.

Mini strength-training breaks in the p.m.

Conducted by researchers from the University of Otago in New Zealand, the small study investigated the impact of regular three-minute bouts of resistance exercise every 30 minutes over a four-hour period in the evening.

Wearing activity monitors, 28 healthy female nonsmokers ages 18 to 40 years old, who typically experienced prolonged sitting during the workday and in the evening, either engaged in activity breaks or remained seated for the duration in a supervised lab setting.

The findings were compelling: The participants slept an average of 27.7 minutes longer when they took regular exercise breaks compared with when they sat uninterrupted. Additionally, there were no significant differences in sleep efficiency or the number of awakenings, indicating that the short exercise sessions did not disrupt other aspects of sleep quality.

Even the researchers said the results were unexpected. “Given the current sleep hygiene guidelines, we were surprised to see such a positive impact on sleep,” said lead study author Jennifer Gale, doctoral student of human nutrition at the University of Otago.

According to Gale, most traditional sleep hygiene advice discourages longer bouts of intense exercise close to bedtime because it can increase  body temperature and heart rate, which is widely believed to negatively impact sleep quality. However, this study challenges that notion. “Our research found that interrupting evening sitting time with short bursts of light intensity exercise improved sleep duration and did not disrupt sleep quality,” Gale added via email.

The study’s authors suggest that it’s more about doing the right types of exercise at the right time that enhances rather than hinders sleep. The brief and less-intense nature of the study exercises means they are less likely to elevate body temperature and heart rate to levels that could potentially interfere with sleep.

Dr. Raj Dasgupta, associate professor of clinical medicine at Huntington Health in California, stressed the importance of keeping the exercises short and not too intense so they can help you sleep better without making you overly energized before bed. He was not involved in the study.

Dasgupta said this approach could be particularly helpful for those “who spend a lot of time sitting in their daily routines, offering a simple way to combat a more sedentary lifestyle without making significant adjustments.”

Gale and her team are currently conducting a follow-up pilot study to explore the question of how to best support people in performing the right sleep-improving activity breaks at regular intervals in the evening in a real-world setting.

What is resistance training?

Resistance training, also known as strength training, involves exercises that cause muscles to contract against an external resistance. The resistance can come from your own body weight, free weights, machines or resistance bands.

Common resistance training exercises include push-ups, squats and weight lifting. These exercises are designed to improve muscle strength and endurance by working against a force.

Dasgupta said that the study used “simple and practical” resistance exercises that could be performed by most individuals. He emphasized the health benefits beyond improving sleep, adding that strength training enhances quality of life and can help you maintain independence as you age.

Start a new evening routine

Below are the three specific exercises used in the study along with another set of comparable alternatives for variety. Based on the research, any similar light to moderate resistance exercises should work.

Important note: Check with your doctor before beginning this or any new exercise program. As always, listen to your body and adjust the intensity and duration as needed to find what works best for you.

Study exercises:

•  Chair squats: Stand up from a seated position without using your hands and sit back down, repeating for 20 seconds.

•   Calf raises: In a standing position, rise onto your toes, then lower back down, repeating for 20 seconds.

•  Standing knee raises with straight-leg hip extensions: Alternate lifting each knee toward your chest, followed by extending your leg back, for 20 seconds each. If needed, use the back of a chair or wall for support.

Alternative exercises:

•   Marching in place: Lift your knees alternately to hip height while swinging your arms, repeating for 20 seconds.

•   Wall push-ups: Stand facing a wall, so that you can place your hands on the wall at shoulder height with arms straight and palms down. Perform push-ups against the wall for 20 seconds.

•   Side leg raises: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and lift one leg out to the side, then lower it back down, repeating for 10 seconds on each side for a total of 20 seconds. Support yourself by holding a chair back or wall, if you need assistance with balance.

Repeat either set or any variation of three of the above exercises three times, totaling three minutes, every 30 minutes over four hours in the evening. Start these breaks around 4 p.m. or 5 p.m., concluding at least one hour before your intended sleep time to allow your body to settle and prepare for rest. In total, this adds up to 24 minutes of exercise each evening.

Benefits of reducing sedentary behavior

Prolonged sitting, especially in the evening, has been linked to adverse health outcomes, including an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. By incorporating short bursts of activity, individuals can break up their sedentary time and potentially mitigate some of these risks.

According to the study results, beyond improving sleep, evening activity breaks may also benefit overall health by improving postprandial metabolism — or how your body processes the nutrients you eat — and reducing the risk of cardiometabolic diseases. Gale pointed to this finding as one of the main takeaways of the study, saying that interrupting evening sitting time has the potential to improve your health in “multiple ways.” “The key is to get up frequently and move your body,” she added.

Dasgupta agreed and said the findings were “very promising” and drew valuable conclusions despite the study’s small size.

“Adding quick, simple and light resistance exercise breaks to your evening routine could be a simple way to improve your sleep and health,” he said.

So, why not give it a try tonight? Better sleep could be just a few short exercise breaks away.

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