Join the club! Everyone I talk to lately is struggling to get enough sleep and most of us get less than the recommended hours of sleep per night. Sure, there are over-the-counter sleep aids, soothing white noise machines, etc. but at the end of the day, we are still struggling to find that happy place. In a recent article published in Medscape, they discuss some interesting results from a sleep study that was presented at the Epidemiology, Prevention/Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health 2022 conference.

It goes without saying that exercise throughout the day should help you rest better at night, your body is tired, your mind is tired and yet you can’t sleep. If you think about the exercise we get, it is generally more aerobic in nature than anything else. What the study found, however, was that consistently, resistance exercise on its own seemed to show the most benefit. Interesting! When was the last time you pulled out those therapy bands and performed some resistance training?

Admittedly, it isn’t completely understood how resistance exercise improves sleep, but the thought is that it might contribute to better overall mental health and enhance certain hormones such as testosterone (is that why men can fall asleep standing up, they have higher testosterone levels?) Another thought was that when you perform resistance training, your muscles experience microscopic damage that might signal the brain to repair and get this person sleep. Although there are different thoughts and conclusions, isn’t it worth a try? How about a good night’s sleep without using medications? I’m in, now go dust off that exercise equipment! Stay the course, stay informed and be well!