INDUSTRY INSIGHT
FITNESS
SPONSORED CONTENT
Improve Your Sleep & Lose Weight
By Lisa Troyer
Research that was conducted at the University of Michigan concluded that sleeping an extra hour a night could help you drop 14 pounds in one year. That’ s right, no crazy dieting or caloric limitations – just sleep. And don’ t we all love to sleep?
The problem is that most of us( 1 / 3 of Americans) are not getting enough of it on a regular basis. Yet experts agree that sleep is as important to your health, well-being, and weight as diet and exercise.
While you aren’ t sleeping, your body is cooking up a perfect storm for weight gain. After a restless night, it’ s easy to lean on a large latte to get moving. Exercise becomes a problem because you are just too tired to hit the gym in the early morning hours and way too tired to go after work. You are also too exhausted to cook a healthy meal so you rely on takeout. It’ s a snowball effect. Let’ s face it, skimping on sleep sets your brain up to make bad decisions.
Research has told the same story over and over again. When people were starved of sleep, late-night snacking increased and high-carb, high-fat snacks were the food of choice. It’ s like the brain’ s reward centers kick in, looking for something to make you feel good. It makes sense that if you are sleep-deprived, your body will crave energy-dense, high-carbohydrate foods, sugary snacks and comfort foods.
Insufficient sleep impacts your hunger and fullness hormones. Trust me, there are proven physiological, psychological and biological facts that back this up. But the real question here is,“ How can we achieve more quality sleep hours?”
• POWER OFF: Electronics keep the brain busy. Shut everything down!
• LIMIT CAFFEINE / AVOID ALCOHOL: Caffeine after a certain time of day can keep you awake for hours. And alcohol disrupts everything to do with a good night’ s sleep.
• CREATE A BEDTIME ROUTINE: This is actually # 1 for me. Going to bed and waking up at the same time is optimal for physical and psychological recovery. If I miss my bedtime window, I cannot fall asleep; otherwise I am sleeping within 10 minutes.
• EXERCISE: For so many more reasons than sleep! But a good workout will absolutely help you fall asleep faster.
• COOL DOWN: Lower your thermostat before bed. There is nothing like breathing in cool air to help you sleep longer and more soundly.
• AVOID HEAVY MEALS OR EATING AFTER 8:00 P. M.: Is there anything worse than crawling into bed with a full stomach and heartburn? If all else fails, consult with your doctor. Sleep deprivation is no joke. Sleep debt is cumulative. There is no such thing as catching up on your sleep. Improved sleep habits will equate to feeling better, and when you feel better you will be better positioned to lose weight.
This Industry Insight was written by Lisa Troyer. Lisa Troyer has been in the fitness industry for more than 24 years and is the owner of Fitness Fanatics in the Great Southern Shopping Center. She currently holds four nationally recognized fitness and personal training certifications and can be reached at 412.220.4190, ext. 3 or at fitnessfanatics @ verizon. net. Check out www. fitnessfanaticsinc. com for more great fitness tips.
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