Carson Tahoe Health

Work Hard, Sleep Hard

Any exercise can improve your health, but strengthening exercises may have the edge for improving your sleep.

You may already know that getting enough sleep can lower your risk for diabetes, heart disease, and weight gain. But did you know that participating in strength or resistance training may improve sleep more than cardio activities such as biking or walking? A study presented at an American Heart Association conference looked at the effect of exercise on the sleep of overweight adults with high blood pressure. Participants were split into four groups:

1. Supervised cardio exercise

2. Strength training

3. Combined cardio and strength training

4. No supervised exercise

At the end of the year-long study, all groups had improved sleep quality, but only the strength training group had improved how long they slept and how quickly they fell asleep.

Getting Started with Strength Training

Strength training doesn’t require a gym membership. Exercises that use your own body weight, hand weights, or resistance bands can be an excellent way to strength train at home.

Talk with your provider before starting a new exercise routine. If you have a health condition, ask for a referral to a physical therapist to help design a routine that works for you.

Go to www.carsontahoe.com/calendar to see what fitness classes are available.

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