Sleep or Exercise: Top Pick for a Healthier Lifestyle

Optimizing Your Sleep and Exercise: The Key to a Healthy Lifestyle

Life’s unpredictability often stands in the way of achieving that perfect balance between sleep and exercise. Amidst work, childcare, illness, and the urge to reclaim personal time, it’s often difficult to choose between the recommended 8 hours of sleep and a regular workout routine. So, the question is, which one contributes more to a healthier lifestyle?

Insights from New Research on Sleep and Exercise

According to a recent study that analyzed data from over 70,000 participants spanning 28 million days, it was found that less than 13 percent of people were hitting their recommended sleep and exercise targets. Interestingly, the study highlighted how failure to meet one goal impacted the other. Fitting in a good workout didn’t necessarily guarantee a good night’s sleep, but getting adequate sleep (7 hours or more) seemed to motivate people to be more physically active the next day.

Quality Sleep Leads to More Physical Activity

As Josh Fitton, a PhD candidate at FHMRI Sleep Health, explained in a statement, “We found that getting a good night’s sleep – especially high-quality sleep – sets you up for a more active day. People who slept well tended to move more the following day, but doing extra steps didn’t really improve sleep that night. This highlights the importance of sleep if we want to boost physical activity.”

The Correlation Between Good Sleep and More Movement

The study found that the correlation between good sleep and more movement was more about quality than quantity. Although six to seven hours of sleep led to higher step counts the following day, the best consistency with exercise was seen among those who were sleeping more efficiently, meaning less tossing and turning during the night.

Overcoming the Challenge of Balancing Sleep and Exercise

Despite the desire to start the new year with a 5am routine, the authors suggest that prioritizing good sleep could be the most effective way to boost energy and motivation for movement. Simple lifestyle changes like reducing screen time before bed, keeping a consistent bedtime, and creating a calm sleep environment can make a big difference in achieving this balance.

The Impact of Sleep on an Active, Healthy Life

Professor Danny Eckert, senior author on the new paper, emphasizes, “Our research shows that sleep is not just a passive state; it’s an active contributor to your ability to live a healthy, active life.”

The groundbreaking study about the interrelation between sleep and exercise is published in the journal, Communications Medicine.