Exercise is a non-negotiable for a well lived, happy life. But did you know just how important it is for your energy level, weight loss efforts and sleep schedule? Exercise may play a much bigger role in your physical, mental and emotional health than you previously thought. Read on to find out why.
Exert Energy at the Gym, Have More ‘Ooomph’ to Get You Through the Day
From a logical standpoint, it may seem like conserving your energy by not working out will give you more energy throughout your day (nice try!); however, the opposite is more like it. That’s because when you live a sedentary life (moving from your bed to your office chair to your couch on the daily) you have very little energy to work with from the beginning. The more active you are, the more movement you’ll want to make, and the greater of a chance you’ll have to fight fatigue.
According to a study published by the Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics journal, the more energy you spend, the more energy you have to spend.To put it another way, the more energy you exert, the more energy your body produces. So, increase your cardio in the dance studio, your endurance or on the track or increase your muscle power in the weight room, and voila! You have more energy to get you through the day.
That Pesky Hormone Called Ghrelin….
Oh, the hormones we produce, especially when we don’t work out like we should. Have you ever noticed that the days you crave more sugar than usual or overdo it with the carbs are the days you have been sleep deprived?
In 2010, researchers found that those people who have a higher level of ghrelin are more prone to ‘sweet snack attacks’, as well as craving foods loaded in carbs. The solution to reducing high levels of ghrelin? A good night’s sleep, and exercise—both of which are excellent stress reducers.
Would you be encouraged to lose weight if you knew you would have to sleep more? When you’re well rested, you don’t crave the foods you do when you’re sleep deprived, such as fried, processed or sugary treats. Need sound sleep? Put yourself on a sleep schedule (go to bed at the same time every night, wake up at the same time every morning) and you’ll feel great, and look amazing. More sleep? Now that’s a reason to lose weight!
