Have you heard about Louis? He is a fitness geek. He goes for a jog every morning and hits the gym in the evening. He follows a strict diet too. Still, whenever he checks his weight on the scale, he discovers that he just can’t shake those extra kilos.
Do you face a similar problem? Even when you follow your fitness regime daily, do you end up with minimal results? Or worse, does following a fitness program completely drain you of energy?
If yes, then it could be that you’re ignoring the most underrated fact of staying in good shape – Sleep
Impact of poor sleep on your weight loss routine
“The poorer the quality of your sleep, the bigger the size of your pants.” – Rujuta Diwekar, a leading nutritionist & exercise science expert
Sleeping means recovery. When you sleep, you are recovering from the mental and physical stresses of the day.
If you don’t get adequate sleep, you wake up half-exhausted as if you haven’t slept at all. This can be owed to a number of things, including unhealthy sleep hygiene and the fact that it’s time to replace your mattress. (Did you know mattresses should be replaced every eight to 10 years?)
When you wake up tired, you have strong cravings for tea or coffee first thing in the morning, which is unhealthy because caffeine contains dehydrating properties. These cravings continue throughout the day and you end up seeking out more caffeinated beverages, sweets, chocolates and other carbs.
Sleep deprivation decreases your willpower, making it more difficult to deny fast food.
Reverse effects of poor sleep on exercise
As you know, when you exercise, your muscles break down and they require recovery time. If you don’t sleep, your muscles don’t get the opportunity to recover from the strain.
In the study of ACSM, 12 athletes went without a proper night’s rest. The next day, participants found that while they could engage in mental activities like music, reading, watching movies, etc., they didn’t have enough energy to effectively participate in physical activities.
Yes, nutritional supplements and foods high in protein will help you recover, but nothing can substitute a proper sleep.
Additionally, exercising when your body is tired can lead to unnecessary injuries which ultimately derail your fitness and weight loss plans!
Consistent deep-sleep gives you a fresh start for every day
An active mind and body helps you make healthy diet choices and keeps you energized and motivated to embrace your exercise programme. The Sealy suggestion? Every time you take on a new eating plan or exercise regime, be sure to include at least seven to eight of sleep as a mandatory part of that plan. Healthy diet, exercise and sleep go hand in hand.