Increase your physical activity to cure insomnia and other sleep problems
Although exercise and sleep are opposite to each other but exercise is a very important factor for getting good sleep.

Regular exercises have a very positive effect on our sleep. The movement builds our muscles, bones and connective tissues. Exercise has numerous benefits for the internal workings of our body.

If you are not taking regular exercise daily, start doing it from Today!

Believe me, you will definitely have a positive impact on the quality of sleep after performing these exercises.

As you know muscle-relaxation techniques and breathing exercises are beneficial in helping us sleep, there are some low-impact exercises also that you can perform for better sleep. Go to my relaxation for the insomnia section for more information about these techniques.

The relation between Exercise and Insomnia

If we talk about the effect of exercise on sleep, I can tell you that exercise has effects similar to sleeping pills. Exercise has a beneficial effect on our circadian rhythms, which are the brain’s natural way of telling us when to sleep and when to be awakened. Exercise promotes shifts in the internal body clock, it is very effective in treating problems related to disturbed circadian rhythms. These problems are generally associated with people having odd working hours or if they are traveling across different time zones.

Lack of physical activity contributes to insomnia by disturbing the daily rise and fall of the body temperature. Exercise improves sleep by increasing our body temperature, a fall in that after a few hours makes it easier to fall asleep.

Apart from having a good impact on our sleep, exercising has many other benefits also. Go to this section for other benefits of exercising.

Keep yourself Active

Keeping active contributes to a better quality of life and sleep too.

There are numerous ways for you to keep active and the options are only limited to your imagination. Keeping active can be as simple as walking to the local shops for bread and milk rather than driving.

Go to the local park with your partner and/or your children, or your dog, rather than sitting at home watching TV. Keeping active means driving less and walking more.

Anything that requires some exertion and movement qualifies as activity. You can become more active even while you are at work. Rather than catching the lift, take the opportunity to get some exercise walking up and down the stairs. Go for a short walk at lunch. Get out of the office and away from the fluorescent lights and airconditioning, and out into the fresh air and natural light.

Move your Body

Along with increasing your levels of general activity, you should try to get at least thirty minutes or more of vigorous exercise, at least three to four times each week. Regular exercise is not just walking to the bus stop, or walking up the stairs. It is a real exercise.

Exercise takes the form of jogging or going to an organized exercise class in a gym. However, because exercise can be any form of activity that is strenuous, it can take the form of walking with a friend or with the dog, playing sports such as tennis or squash, surfing, swimming, throwing a ball in the park, riding a bike or rollerblading.

Begin your exercise program slowly and gradually

Many people get all fired up and overstrain their muscles by working in a gym. Their muscles quickly become sore, their joints ache, they may incur injuries too. This approach is just a waste of time, punishes your body and is bad for your morale. This strain could be the result of exercising at the wrong times also.

Keep two things in mind before starting any exercise regimen

• Before beginning any kind of exercise regimen, it is important to warm up your body. The process of warming up, stretching, loosening of the muscles and cooling down after the exercises is very important.
• You must perform your exercises after evaluating the best time to exercise.

Effective exercise is regular and sustained over a prolonged period of time. To experience the benefits of exercise, physically and psychologically, it needs to become a regular part of your lifestyle.

What exercises you can perform?

You need not go to the gym to perform exercises to promote good sleep, however, if you wish to go or if you feel good going to a gym, go ahead!

There are many ways to move and exercise your body so that you get a good sleep at night. Maybe you already have your favorite way of moving, but I recommend you to move in ways you haven’t tried before. If you change your moves and exercises, you can achieve diverse and better results.

Exercises are broadly classified into two main categories: isometric and dynamic.

Isometric exercises are those where there is muscle activity without much body movement. The examples are rowing and weight lifting.

Dynamic exercises are those where muscle movement is achieved through body movement. Playing a game like a hockey, football or running are some of the examples of dynamic exercises. These exercises improve the overall physical fitness and are the most useful for our body and brain. The most common types of dynamic exercises are aerobics.

Aerobic activities are great to promote better sleep. You can perform the following aerobic exercises to get relief from insomnia and other sleep problems:

• Walking
• Running
• Cycling
• Swimming

Here are some tips to help you make exercise a habit

• Choose an activity you enjoy.
• Choose an exercise program according to your fitness level.
• Always set realistic goals.
• Choose an exercise program that suits your lifestyle.
• Give your body time to adjust to your new routine.
• Don’t lose heart if you don’t see immediate results.
• Don’t give up if you miss a day in your exercise schedule, get back on track the next day.
• Find a companion for motivation and to socialize.
• Let your body rest for at least one day in your exercise schedule.
• It is good to choose more than one type of exercise to give your body a complete workout and fitness.