Thursday, May 29, 2008

How Exercise Affects Your Body Temperature Rhythm

The fastest way to increase the quality of sleep is to get into a exercise regimen, if you already do not do so. Exercise helps the quality of sleep in numerous ways, not to mention the other health benefits it has on your body.

* Exercise will raise your body temperature rhythm, and make your body temperature “peak” at a higher level. This will increase your energy levels throughout the day, you'll feel more awake, alive, and motivated.
* As your body temperature levels will max out at a higher level, your body temperature will also drop more easily and deeper. This will allow you to sleep deeply, without interruptions.
* Regular exercise will prevent your body temperature rhythm from “flat-lining”, which will allow you to sleep deeply even if you've had a stressful day, or couldn't exercise on one particular day.
* Exercise delays the body temperature “drop” in the evening, allowing you to stay awake and alert longer without feeling tired and drowsy.
* Exercise is also a great relief of tension and stress, which as you'll later find out, is a major cause of sleeping disorders.

If exercise not already a part of your daily regimen, it’s not too late to start now. The best time to exercise is in the morning, as this will promote a quick temperature rise. However, avoid exercise 3 hours prior to going to sleep, as your body temperature will probably still be on the rise, and you may find falling asleep / sleeping deeply more difficult.

If you don't exercise, I'm not suggesting you get up off your butt right now, get a membership at your local gym and begin a full scale work out program. You can do that only if you really want to. However, recent study shows that just moderate exercise during the day has many health benefits. If you can't motivate yourself to start exercising regularly, you could find a less intensive physical activity that you still enjoy, like walking briskly, biking, rollerblading, these will still have a substantial effect at raising your body temperature.

My final point about this would be: What's the Point of Trying to Rejuvenate your Body, and Increasing the Quality of Your Sleep, if You're Not Going to USE YOUR BODY?

No comments: