Learning “Biohack” to sleep with Lara Trump
Human biologist and “biohaker” Gary Brekka shows Fox News' host Lara Trump the benefits of exercise in high-pressure chambers, cold light therapy and silver cloth at night in “My Views with Lara Trump.”
Exercise has proven benefits in all areas of physical and mental health, and includes quality of sleep.
According to a new study, certain types of exercise training – strength training – are associated with prevention of insomnia in older adults.
The researchers analyzed data from 25 randomized trials that measured the effects of physical exercise on the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI). This is a survey that assesses the quality of sleep among respondents over a month.
The study included 2,170 people aged 60 and older.
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Strength Training – “Exercises that increase muscle strength by using anaerobic metabolism such as weight or strength, lifting weight, arm curls, wall push-ups, and resistance” have been found to have the greatest positive effect on sleep and increase your sleep score by 5.75 points.
According to a new study, certain types of exercise training – strength training – are associated with prevention of insomnia in older adults. (istock)
In comparison, my sleep score has been improved by 3.76 points, including running, jogging, cycling, dancing, hiking, swimming, gardening and active walking.
Combined exercises (mixing aerobic, strengthening, balance and flexibility exercises) increased the score by 2.54 points.
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“Exercise that strengthens muscles, rather than aerobic or combined exercise, is the most effective way to improve sleep quality,” the researchers concluded.
Sleep quality has been shown to decrease with age, the study noted.
30% to 48% of elderly people complain of drowsiness, while 12% to 20% suffer from insomnia.
“Exercises that strengthen muscles, rather than aerobic or combined exercise, are the most effective ways to improve sleep quality.”
Lorna Kleidman, a certified personal trainer and founder of Lornafit in New York, agrees that strength training can improve your sleep.
“I've seen them firsthand with middle-aged female clients who previously struggled with sleep due to hormonal changes,” Kleidman, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
Physical exercise helps the body naturally fade away and leads to deeper, more recovery sleep, one expert said. (istock)
“Resistance training helps to regulate circadian rhythms, sleep/wake cycles, so it improves insomnia,” she continued. “Sleep quality is improved by reducing stress hormones and promoting the release of fatigue-inducing adenosine.”
Physical exercise also helps the body naturally fade away and leads to deeper, more recovery sleep, Kleidman added.
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Certified Personal Trainer Regispajet, founder and owner of R Personal Fitness in New York City, agreed that 30 minutes of medium-intensity strength training can demonstrate improvements in sleep the same night.
“Regular strength training requires your body to need a higher quality rest to recover,” an expert who was not involved in the study told Fox News Digital.
30% to 48% of elderly people complain of drowsiness, while 12% to 20% suffer from insomnia. (istock)
“It helps regulate your temperature, improve your heart rate and helps you fall asleep faster.”
According to Pagett, improved sleep quality, reduced daytime sleepiness, and reduced severity of sleep apnea are all benefits.
Strength Training Recommendations
The American Heart Association recommends that adults strive to make a minimum of two strength training sessions per week.
“To maximize profits, I personally recommend that people incorporate strength training three or four times a week,” advised Paget.
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Kleidman recommends completing squats, deadlifts, lunges, presses, pulls and spins in 2-3 sets of all movements.
“Add a few minutes of HIIT (high intensity interval training) and there's a thorough session for strength, bone health and fat burning,” she said.
The American Heart Association recommends that adults strive to make a minimum of two strength training sessions per week. (istock)
Both experts agreed, strength training becomes more important with age.
“Resistance training is the first thing women should think about when planning their workout sessions,” says Kleidman.
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“It's essential to maintain the muscles that you lose due to estrogen loss. It's about maintaining bone mass and maintaining metabolism.”
Men also need to maintain muscles that can be lost with testosterone loss, Kleidman added.
“We also recommend eating a lot of protein-centric meals throughout the day, and we recommend that the maximum intake comes right after breakfast and exercise,” one expert said. (istock)
Pagett pointed to previous studies showing that around 30% of more than 70 adults walk, leave their chairs, or have climbing stairs.
“These trends in physical limitations are directly linked to rising rates of falls, chronic illness, nursing home hospitalization and mortality,” he said.
“Resistance training helps to regulate circadian rhythms and thus improves insomnia.”
The timing of the exercise is also important, Padgett pointed out.
“It's best to exercise for at least three hours before going to sleep, as it releases endorphins into your body that will kick adrenaline that can raise your energy levels for an hour or two after exercise,” he advised.
The National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults get 7-9 hours of sleep each night. (istock)
“We also recommend eating a lot of protein-centric meals throughout the day, and your biggest intake comes right after breakfast and exercise,” Paget said.
“This helps minimize pain and helps you recover.”
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The National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults get 7-9 hours of sleep each night.
