Exercise is good; sleep is better; exercise and sleep make the perfect combo! You might think it's possible to compensate sleep deprivation with working out, but what you may not know is that a well-rested body is healthier than abs and flat stomach.
Read on to know the effects of improper sleep on a woman’s fitness and health in general.
1. Hormonal imbalance
A woman’s body is a network of hormones. Research shows that when you fail to get adequate sleep, you are at a higher risk of getting stress and depression. Any of these two conditions has adverse effects on your hormones.
Hormonal imbalance hinders the great results you intend to get from your fitness routine as your system fails to get a chance to rest, heal, and repair as it’s supposed to. This leads to issues like an unhealthy body mass index (BMI) and muscle wasting - the exact opposite of exactly what you want from your workout.
PS - Maca is an amazing adaptogenic herb that helps with hormone imbalances and helps the body's response to stress! Check out these Peanut Butter Chocolate Maca Energy Bites for a delicious way to get in some maca to your day!
2. Low energy levels
Imagine you plan to hit the gym for an hour but thirty minutes after signing in you cannot go on because you don’t have energy. How will you feel? There is a link between sleep deprivation and low energy levels.
Lack of energy affects the duration of your exercise, consequently affecting the outcome you want. So, before you draw your exercise routine, you need to determine whether or not you are getting the recommended amount of sleep.
3. Risk of getting type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure
A healthy adult is expected to get up to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep every night. One of the benefits you get from a well-rested body is the ability to regulate blood sugar and blood pressure.
Therefore, if you do not sleep enough, your body is likely to develop insulin resistance leading to Type 2 diabetes. These two conditions have adverse effects on both men and women, but in women, the consequences are uglier.
Limiting sugar is also key to preventing insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes, but that doesn't meant you have to stop eating sweets! Check out all of my delicious sugar-free recipes here!
So what’s the way out?
It’s no secret that women have more responsibilities around the house as compared to the men. To add to that, most females have to juggle work and family. So, having the right amount of sleep can be difficult. Plus who hasn’t tried to supplement poor sleep routine with the gym?
However, as a woman, you can boost your sleep in the following simple ways:
1. Invest in the right mattress
With the proper mattress, you are sure of quality sleep. A good mattress should align your pressure points properly so that you wake up feeling rested, calm, and without back pain!
In case you are not sure which one to invest in, check out Nectar and Casper compare by Trish Boudreaux.
2. Get help around the house
You are not a machine. Feel free to delegate chores so that you can get to bed early. A woman that has had a good night’s sleep is a gift to the family and society. Do not forget to eat well and exercise frequently.
Final Thoughts
Improper sleep has unpleasant effects on a woman’s health, and the gym cannot take the place of a good night’s sleep. There is no need to compromise the outcome you want from your fitness program by compromising on the quality and quantity of sleep you get each day.
