Now, a small efficacy study published July 16 in the journal BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine suggests a simple yet effective strategy to improve sleep duration: incorporating short resistance, or strength training, exercise breaks in the evening.
Based on the findings, this novel approach could transform the way people think about pre-bedtime routines and offer a practical solution for those needing more sleep.
Conducted by researchers from the University of Otago in New Zealand, the small study investigated the impact of regular three-minute bouts of resistance exercise every 30 minutes over a four-hour period in the evening.
Wearing activity monitors, 28 healthy female nonsmokers ages 18 to 40 years old, who typically experienced prolonged sitting during the workday and in the evening, either engaged in activity breaks or remained seated for the duration in a supervised lab setting.
The findings were compelling: The participants slept an average of 27.7 minutes longer when they took regular exercise breaks compared with when they sat uninterrupted. Additionally, there were no significant differences in sleep efficiency or the number of awakenings, indicating that the short exercise sessions did not disrupt other aspects of sleep quality.
Even the researchers said the results were unexpected. "Given the current sleep hygiene guidelines, we were surprised to see such a positive impact on sleep," said lead study author Jennifer Gale, doctoral student of human nutrition at the University of Otago.
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