However, I do include them in my weekly work out schedule because they not only keep me lean, the health benefits of cardiovascular exercise are almost endless. For the sake of time and space, I won't go into that here...
But this I have to share. I just stumbled upon an article that sums up research that was conducted by Northwestern Medicine and funded by the National Institute on Aging and was intrigued by their findings.
Are you ready?
Aerobic Exercise Relieves Insomnia
If you're like me and have had trouble sleeping, this is very good news!
The study is the first to examine the effect of aerobic exercise on middle-aged and older adults with a history of insomnia. The aerobic exercise trial resulted in the most dramatic improvement in patients' reported quality of sleep, including sleep duration, compared to any other non-pharmacological intervention.
"This is relevant to a huge portion of the population," said Phyllis Zee, M.D., director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Northwestern Medicine and senior author of a paper to be published in the October issue of Sleep Medicine. The lead author is Kathryn Reid, research assistant professor at Feinberg.
"Insomnia increases with age," Zee said. "Around middle age, sleep begins to change dramatically. It is essential that we identify behavioral ways to improve sleep. Now we have promising results showing aerobic exercise is a simple strategy to help people sleep better and feel more vigorous."
The drug-free strategy also is desirable, because it eliminates the potential of a sleeping medication interacting with other drugs a person may be taking, Reid said.
Studies over the past several years have shown that sleep --- quality sleep and plenty of it --- is crucial to health and well-being.
"By improving a person's sleep, you can improve their physical and mental health," Zee said. "Sleep is a barometer of health, like someone's temperature. It should be the fifth vital sign. If a person says he or she isn't sleeping well, we know they are more likely to be in poor health with problems managing their hypertension or diabetes."
The study included 23 sedentary adults, primarily women, 55 and older who had difficulty falling sleep and/or staying asleep and impaired daytime functioning. Women have the highest prevalence of insomnia. After a conditioning period, the aerobic physical activity group exercised for two 20-minute sessions four times per week or one 30-to-40-minute session four times per week, both for 16 weeks. Participants worked at 75 percent of their maximum heart rate on at least two activities including walking or using a stationary bicycle or treadmill.
Participants in the non-physical activity group participated in recreational or educational activities, such as a cooking class or a museum lecture, which met for about 45 minutes three to five times per week for 16 weeks.
Both groups received education about good sleep hygiene, which includes sleeping in a cool, dark and quiet room, going to bed the same time every night and not staying in bed too long, if you can't fall asleep.
The participants reported their sleep quality had risen, from poor to good. They also reported less depression, more vitality and less drowsiness during the day. More vitality during the day means you will not only do better at work or play, but you will enjoy it more because you are not tired.
So, like it or not, I will continue to do my cardio and monitor the days I do it and the following night's sleep. Who knows, if it turns out that I sleep better on cardio days, I may be converted from a hater to a lover! Why don't you give it a try too and let me know your results!
