Originally published on Omegaunderground.com.
Fitness experts like trainer Eugenio Pallisco urge their clients to prioritize sleep, and for good reason. Sleep plays a critical role in the progression of fitness and overall health. Exercise and sleep also positively affect each other, as exercise can help you sleep better, and sleep aids with muscle recovery and growth, cognitive performance, hormone regulation, and overall physical state. Below, Pallisco spotlights the significant benefits that come with balancing proper sleep with adequate exercise.
1. Fitness Motivation
Many people can relate to a roller-coaster-like commitment to fitness goals. When it’s time to make New Year resolutions, staying motivated for the first couple of months is common, followed by throwing in the towel until next year. In fact, 95% of resolutions made for New Year are related to better health through fitness, and only 10% of those people believe that their commitment will stick after three months.
Prioritizing sleep while striving for fitness goals can aid in making the lifestyle change stick for good. According to the National Sleep Foundation, the recommended amount of sleep an adult should receive per night to maintain proper health is seven to nine hours. Unfortunately, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that almost one-third of adults get less than seven hours. Sleep studies have proven that the right amount of sleep has been shown to help drive individuals to remain loyal to exercise plans. People who get a good night’s rest are more likely to complete a workout the following day.
2. Muscle Recovery
After a workout, the feeling of soreness is not far behind, which is a part of the process of muscle hypertrophy, or muscle building. Fitness typically involves working a muscle with more resistance than what it would experience during a normal daily routine. When a muscle moves under heavier resistance, teeny tiny tears take place in the tissue. These tears spark the development of new muscle protein strands, resulting in stronger muscles.
Muscle tissue needs to undergo its healing process after a heavy lift or a fitness plan will backfire due to over-training or injury. Sleep is an essential piece to the healing of muscle tissue and can alleviate post-workout soreness.
A single night’s sleep can be what muscles need for proper repair, thanks to the production of growth hormones. These anabolic hormones are developed during dreamless sleep or stage 3 of non-rapid eye movement (NREM). The supply contributes to mending damaged muscle tissue from exercising. Though the recommended period for sleep is seven hours, more sleep equates to more time to regenerate and grow muscle tissue.
3. Boost Mood and Focus
Solid sleep not only has physical health benefits but also positively affects mental health. Sharper concentration, elevated mood, and increased focus are all the gifts that good sleep brings to the brain. In the gym, high energy and alertness from the accurate amount of rest can help dwindle the risk of injury from lack of focus or improper, sluggish form.
About Eugenio Pallisco
Fitness expert and licensed trainer Eugenio Pallisco works in Dallas, Texas. Eugenio has been passionate about improving others through fitness ever since high school when he started working with motivational fitness mentors. Over time, he has devoted a lot of effort to refining his training philosophy. To gain more expertise, he started as a group fitness instructor and later worked one-on-one with gym-goers before eventually starting his own private training firm in the fitness industry.