Improve your sleep with evening exercise

People who regularly exercise are more satisfied with their sleep. It is known that you can fall asleep easily and wake up less often during sleep. From evening to early evening, your body is more mobile and you can exercise easily. This is the best time to exercise.

1. The difference in body temperature increases, making it easier to fall asleep.

The temperature inside the body fluctuates approximately every 24 hours. Body temperature is highest from late afternoon to early evening and lowest around dawn. If you exercise during the time when your body temperature is at its highest, the difference in body temperature will increase, and your body temperature will drop smoothly by the time you go to bed, allowing you to fall asleep in a short time.

On the other hand, strenuous exercise early in the morning and right before bed is not recommended. Early mornings are dangerous because your brain and body are not yet fully awake, and just before you go to sleep, your sympathetic nervous system may be stimulated and you may wake up from sleepiness.

The same fluctuations are seen in athletic performance. During the evening and early evening hours, when the internal temperature of your body is high, your muscles move more easily and your strength increases. The feeling of fatigue and exertion associated with exercise also fluctuates during the day, and this time of day also has the advantage that you are less likely to feel tired even if you continue to do the same exercise.

2. About 30 minutes of exercise that makes you sweat a little.

What about exercise intensity and frequency? You don't need strenuous exercise to get a good night's sleep. It is best to choose something light that puts less strain on your body. Ideally, you should do some exercise that makes you sweat for about 30 minutes, such as walking, swimming, yoga, or stretching. If possible, I would like to move my body at least 3 to 4 times a week.

Unfortunately, in Japan, there are very few people who have a habit of exercising, and the reality is that only about 30% of the people do so. Only one in five men between the ages of 20 and 50 and one in six women between the ages of 20 and 40 exercise.

For people who don't have this kind of exercise habit, suddenly doing strenuous exercise can actually have the opposite effect. You may feel so tired that you can't sleep. Why not start by walking one bus stop away on your way home? The important thing is to keep going.

Related article: List of lifestyle habits that lead to good sleep

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