7 Workout Exercises That Will Put You To Bed All Night

If you have ever heard that exercising at night will keep you awake at night, you are not alone. It is common knowledge that many exercises will increase your heart rate and make it difficult to fall asleep. However, there are also a few exercises that help people relax and fall asleep faster at night. It is a good idea to avoid kickboxing classes, speedy runs, and HIIT workouts within a few hours of going to sleep. Instead, try a few gentle exercises that help make sleep better.

Of course, it is wise to avoid drinking caffeinated beverages within a few hours of going to sleep. It is also wise to eat a balanced diet and avoid big meals just before bed, too. If you do have difficulty falling asleep, you might want to speak with your healthcare provider.

These exercises are helpful for falling asleep and staying asleep:

1. Basic calisthenics

While many strenuous exercises will keep you from falling asleep, some easy calisthenics will speed up the process. About one hour before you get ready for bed, try doing some basic exercises, like crunches, lunges, and planks. Your goal is not to get your heart rate to jump, but to increase your body temperature. So, you do not want to speed through these exercises. Instead, make them controlled, slow, and deliberate. Be sure to inhale and exhale with the movements so you can give your body time to warm up. After finishing, do some gentle stretches so your body can cool back down and prepare to go to sleep.

2. Yoga, with some exceptions

Yoga is another exercise that will give you a workout and help you relax in bed. Like the calisthenics, it is best to avoid overly tricky yoga poses, especially inversions, because these will increase your heart rate. It is best to do basic poses like Warrior 1 and Warrior 2, as well as forward bends, balancing poses, and core work like Boat and Bridge.

3. Try Bikram Yoga

If you are looking for a fantastic yoga workout that will help you sleep better, give Bikram Yoga a try. This practice is done in temperature that reaches 100°. The heat will help elevate yours, but the poses will not increase your heart rate so you cannot fall asleep. Most people who practice Bikram Yoga report sleeping better simply because they are so relaxed when the practice is over. You will need 90 minutes to complete a Bikram class.

4. Strength exercises

You can help improve your sleep by counting your reps with weights. Exercises that involve strengthening the body have proven to improve sleep. There are studies that have been done to determine that lifting weights can improve sleep. In fact, most people who lift weights for 30 minutes per day can fall asleep between 10 and 45 minutes earlier than they did before they started lifting weights. Those who weight trained in the morning fell asleep faster than those who worked out in the afternoon or evening. The exercises were completed at a moderate intensity, and the activities worked all parts of the body. Try to include basic strength exercises like bicep curls, calf raises, shoulder presses, and push-ups.

5. Work your core with Pilates

Pilates is another exercise that will help you sleep better. The training builds strength and body temperature. Pilates exercises are done slowly and methodically, so that body makes heat without increasing the heart rate. Again, if you do Pilates moves a few hours before going to sleep, your body will be ready for bed once your body temperature cools. Pilates exercises that involve rolling the spine, like Wall Roll Down and Spine Stretch, all help with relaxation. All you need is 15 to 20 minutes of Pilates exercises done at a slow, intentional speed to help you fall asleep.

6. Take a walk

There isn’t much that walking does not help. It indeed is one of the most beneficial exercises that anyone can do. Experts recommend that people get a minimum of 150 minutes of vigorous exercise each week and brisk walking is one of the practices that counts. While it is not a good idea to go for a quick walk just before bed, doing it at some time during the day - even in little spurts - will help you sleep better at night. Some people will take one long walk each day, but it is also beneficial to get a few short walks in throughout the day, too. Whether you do it inside or outside, taking a step will help you fall asleep each night.

7. Take an early morning jog

If your body can handle jogging at a moderate or slow pace, the best time to do it is in the morning. Cardio exercise, like jogging, is best performed in the morning to help with deeper sleep at night. However, exercising too vigorously in the morning can lead to muscle and joint strain because the body is not warmed up sufficiently. So, if you do decide to exercise early in the morning be sure to take your time and let your body warm up before you exert too much energy.

The key to using exercise to fall asleep is understanding what your body prefers. Some people do not benefit from early morning exercise and others will find that they cannot fall asleep quickly after exercising too late in the evening. Some people also learn that it takes time for the body to adjust to exercise routines and over time those routines might need to change. It is important to remember that in many cases, exercise can help not only with better sleep - it can also help make your waking hours more enjoyable and relaxing, too. Speaking of relaxation if you need a comfy pillow to sleep on check out the beststomach sleeper pillow.