undays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Friday evenings
were my workouts days—or evenings—during my
most of my college years. After hitting an hour of
weightlifting at the university’s recreation center, I
either jammed to Missy Elliot, Akon, Ciara—
whoever my teacher played—at the gym’s hip-hop class or go out salsa dancing until I can only hear cowbells donging against my eardrums. This was a routine I adopted even for a few years after I graduated, which may have kept my body fat level and depression at an all-time low. I had also believed that exercising before bedtime is better than during the day because sleep helps my body recover and heal. While I was uncertain whether my belief was true or not, current scientific evidence and research yielded some answers and questions on how exercise affects sleep quality.
By Nick Ng, BA, CMT
S
6
massage & fitness magazine
Could Late-Night
Workouts
Improve Sleep?