Overcome Sleeplessness with Exercise

Do you suffer from sleeplessness? This is commonly known as insomnia and there are a few things you can do about it….read on!

For some people, exercise is enough on its own to overcome their insomnia. When you exercise, you’re placing extra stress on your body and, in order to compensate for this added stress, your brain dictates a greater need for deep sleep to aid in recovery.

If you’re experiencing problems sleeping, there’s a good chance you aren’t getting enough exercise. Both mental and physical exercises are effective ways to help you experience a deeper, more restful sleep.

What Are the Best Exercises for Fighting Sleeplessness?

Almost any physical activity can help you combat insomnia. However, there are a few particular exercises that seem to work better than others.

Here’s just a sampling of exercises to overcome insomnia:

* Treadmill –

Best when used next to an open window with plenty of sunlight pouring in

* Bicycling -

 The movement and constant concentration needed are especially effective.

* Stationary Bike -

Not as effective as a real bicycle, but works great on rainy days

* Jump Rope –

A good exercise to do that’s stationery and requires little equipment

* Dancing –

One of the most enjoyable ways to get exercise

* Walking & Jogging Outside -

This is probably the easiest way to get exercise, exposure to sunlight and beat insomnia.

What Time do I combat Insomnia with exercise?

The best time to exercise is about 4 – 6 hours before bedtime. If you exercise just before you retire for the night, your body won’t have enough time to cool down properly. This can make it harder to get to sleep. Remember that you should avoid caffeine or eating late, as well.

Get Your Mind Active, Too!

When you exercise your body and mind at the same time, you’ll notice you’ll get a deeper and more fulfilling night sleep. It’s very easy to exercise your mind while you’re involved in physical activity.

Some ways to do this while you’re exercising are:
* Doing simple math problems in your head
* Reciting something you need to remember
* Listening to an audio book or podcast
* Reading a book, newspaper or magazine

Avoid doing the same exercises every day. Mix things up so your activities keep your body and mind fresh and active. Monotony causes the effectiveness of the activities, both physical and mental, to wane.

You may also want to keep a journal of your exercise activities and your sleeping hours. Once in a while, you can analyze what combination of exercises – both mental and physical – gave you the best sleep results. And once you’re equipped with this newfound knowledge, you can create a custom workout, which will improve your health and help you beat the insomnia bug for good!

Bright Light and Your Internal Clock

Have you ever noticed during the warmer months, when you’re outside and active, you tend to get tired earlier in the evening? This is due to the extended amount of time you’re exposed to sunlight and the physical activity.

Exercising in a brightly lit area with a lot of sunlight increases your energy levels. Also, increasing your exposure to sunlight helps control your body temperature rhythms that regulate sleep.

So, if you have been struggling to get some sleep – use the above suggestions to combat sleeplessness with exercise!

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Body Toning Exercises to Shape Up Anywhere

Incorporating body toning exercises or any exercise, into your weight loss efforts is crucially important for more speedy success.

Lose Weight and Look Great – Click Here!

Losing wieght is great but what do you do with the left over flabby bits? You shape up with toning exercises! Read on for some great tips on body toning you can do anytime!

Exercise is an important part of our lives.  Staying in shape is one way to increase your life expectancy.  Weight bearing exercises are important also for increasing muscle mass and bone density as you age.

Weight bearing exercises aren’t just for bodybuilders. As you age, especially once you hit the age of forty, you begin to lose muscle mass. For women especially, bone loss becomes a problem. When the body is in need of calcium it can rob it from your bones. Building muscle not only increases their mass but your strength.

Here are five easy body toning exercises that can be done anywhere and anytime. 

1. Crunches.

Abdominal muscles can be worked every day to build strength and muscle tone. A great toning exercise is lying on the floor in sit up position, lace your fingers behind your head. Squeezing your abdominal muscles, lift your upper body until your lower back is about to come off the floor. Hold for two to five counts and return to starting position

2. Reverse Lunges.

Lunges work the quadriceps muscles. They can be hard for people with knee problems, so a great body toning exercise with less impact is the reverse lunge. A reverse lunge still tones the right muscle groups but with less pressure on the knee. Stand with feet together and arms at your sides. Take one leg and move it backwards until you are in lunge position: front leg bent at a 90 degree angle and back leg extended until you are on the ball of your foot. From this position lower yourself down until the back knee almost touches the floor. Hold for a count of two and return to starting position. This is a great way to shape up!

3. The Bridge Butt Lift.

Sounds like a plastic surgery technique but it is a great exercise and an easy way to shape up your buttocks.  Lay down with feet flat on the floor, legs shoulder width apart.  Place your hands, palm side down, on either side of your body.  Pushing with your feet, squeeze your gluteal muscles and lift your butt off the floor.  Hold the position for a count of five to ten and release down to the floor.

4. Squats.

Squats work the butt, the hamstring muscles and the quadriceps.  If you aren’t sure of proper form in this toning exercise, you can use a chair.  Stand with feet shoulder width apart and feet firmly planted.  Push your butt back as if you were preparing to sit in a chair.  Keep your abs tight and your upper body straight.  Once you reach chair level stop and hold the position for a count of two to five and release.  At the lowest point, place all of your weight on your heels for balance and maximum toning.

5. Pushups.

This is a one of the classic toning exercises that works all areas of the arms plus the chest muscles.  If you aren’t comfortable or strong enough to perform a pushup on your toes, lower your body to your knees.  Be sure your arms are tucked into the body and your back straight as you lower and lift your body.

Lose Weight and Look Great – Click Here!

These five body toning exercises can be done whenever you have time.  The best thing about exercise is that its effects are cumulative.  Even five or ten minutes of toning exercises at a time, will work to your advantage in helping you shape up.

There are some awesome weight loss and toning exercise products you may find useful in my sidebar – check them out!

When trying to lose weight, put your best forward by incorporating these body toning exercises into your daily routine!

Tags: body toning, body toning exercises, Exercise, shape up, toning exercises