When is the Best Time and What Type of Exercise Can Help You Get Better Quality Sleep?

*When is the best time to do exercise?*

To improve the sleep quality it is recommended to do exercise during
mid to late afternoon. Experiment yourself to find the best time that
work best for you. It might take several weeks of trial and error to
determine the best time of day for you to get your exercise. If you're
a morning person, you may want to wake up a little earlier every day
and go to the gym or jog around the neighborhood.

That will start your day to an energetic start.

If you find you can't exercise in the morning, maybe you could hit the
gym on your lunch break or immediately after work. Some people find
that evening exercise winds them up, while others find it helps them
sleep.

Avoid exercise in the late evening or just before going to bed.
Exercise is actually stimulating the body, raising its temperature. It
can take quite a while for your muscles and circulation system to calm
down again after a vigorous workout. That's the opposite of what you
want near bedtime, because a cooler body temperature is associated
with sleep.

*What kind of exercise works best?*

Regular exercise works best for most people, but the exact type and
amount varies from individual. Try to work with a personal trainer or
exercise instructor to design a program that works best for you,
especially if you are new to exercise. Endurance exercise such as
walking, swimming or cycling,

performed for 30 to 60 minutes, three to five days a week is commonly
prescribed for improving sleep quality in healthy adults. (Make sure
to consult your doctor that you are healthy enough to conduct such
exercise).

The exercise should involve vigorous use of legs which should help
with your sleep. The fatigue produced by [using leg muscles] acts as a
tranquilizer. Aerobic exercises such as jogging, swimming, riding a
bicycle, jumping rope, dancing, riding a stationary bicycle, using a
treadmill, and walking are the best to combat sleeplessness in which
it increases the oxygen that reaches the

blood. A mild workout for fifteen to twenty minutes a day, four days a
week, will be enough to feel the benefits. Stretch before and after
doing anything vigorous. Let cool-down after exercising, before you do
any stretching.

With regular exercise your sleep quality is improved and the
transition between the cycles and phases of sleep becomes smoother and
more regular. Try to increase your physical daily activity during the
day may also help you deal with the stress and worry in your life. The
goal here is to give your body enough stimulation during the day so
that you are not restless at night. But *DO NOT* overdoing it, as
ironically, too much exercise can interfere with sleep. Start at a
reasonable level activity you enjoy, and increase exercise volume
gradually to avoid injury and sleep problems.

Studies indicate that there is a direct correlation between how much
we exercise and how we feel both emotionally and physically by changes
in our brain chemistry that occur from regular exercise.

Mild, non-aerobic exercise may help you unwind at the end of the day
and maybe beneficial to handle insomnia problem. Take a leisurely walk
or gentle dancing to pleasant music can help you lift your mood and
relax the body. The ollowing activities are relaxing and have other
healing properties:

- Yoga has a stimulatory effect on your nervous system, in particular
to the brain. Yoga uses breathing techniques and yoga postures
increase blood circulation of the brain, promoting regular and restful
sleeping patterns. Regular practice of yoga will relax you as well as
relieve stress and tension in your body.

- Tai Chi is a form of breathing and movement that was developed by
ancient Chinese monks. The movements involved are precise and slow,
which is ideal if you have joint pain or are unable to participate in
high impact aerobic exercises. Studies have shown that Tai Chi might
help people with insomnia by promoting relaxation.

If you find that you have no time to exercise on a regular basis try
to add extra moments of activity into your daily schedule. Take the
stairs instead of the elevator whenever possible.

Try parking your car around the corner and walking that extra block to
your office. There are many small simple ways that you can add
activity into your life. Your goal is to have a healthy, well balanced
life.

_By: *Irwan Lee*_

*About the Author:*

Irwan Librata, an entrepreneur who turned his hobby into his business
and blog owner of Powerhealths [1], GojiHighlights.com [2] and
Immune-boost.com [3]. Irwan graduated with a Bachelor degree in
Biomedical Engineering from one of prominent University in US - Case
Western University. Since graduation various work experience in the
field that are related to his background in the field of Medical
technology to unrelated field of CAD/CAM GIS Engineering software,
CMMS (Computer Maintenance and Management System) Software and Batik
cloth manufacture.

His passion in Health and Fitness are tremendous. For the last four
years he is passionately learn the correlation between natural
products and its affects to human body. He also learns how the never
ending air pollution is affecting human's health and how to
anticipate the situation by using a non-harmful natural product
available in the market today.

The health of one's body and mind is the latest issue that Irwan
took a passion in.
Do come and visit regularly as we will keep update information on
Health related issue, Fitness  Yoga, best natural nutritional
supplements, as well as motivation stories.

Links:
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[1] http://powerhealths.com
[2] http://gojihighlights.com
[3] http://immune-boost.com