*Research suggests that brief evening exercises, such as squats, calf raises, and standing knee raises, can enhance sleep quality and duration.
A study published in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine found that participants who interrupted prolonged sitting with short, bodyweight resistance exercises slept almost 30 minutes longer than those who remained sedentary, Fox News reports. Although the exercises did not affect sleep efficiency or the number of night awakenings, they improved overall sleep time without disrupting sleep quality.
“Performing bodyweight resistance exercise activity breaks in the evening has the potential to improve sleep period and total sleep time, and does not disrupt other aspects of sleep quality or subsequent 24-hour physical activity,” the New Zealand-based researchers concluded.
“These are very short bouts of relatively low-intensity physical activity that anyone could do in their evening hours,” sleep expert Dr. Wendy Troxel said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “And I think it really speaks to the potential harms of extended periods of sedentary activity.”
A 30% increased mortality risk is one of the consequences of an excessively sedentary lifestyle, the expert warned.
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“So, this suggests that just little bouts of physical activity in the evening hours, to get you off the couch and moving … could have benefits for your sleep and your health more globally,” Troxel added.
Speaking to Fox News Digital, celebrity personal trainer Kollins Ezekh in Los Angeles said, “Physical activity triggers the release of endorphins and serotonin, which naturally helps to calm the mind and body.”
Ezekh noted that evening exercise can reduce stress and anxiety by releasing endorphins and serotonin, promoting relaxation.
“Plus, the natural fatigue from a good workout makes it easier to fall asleep,” he added.
“If you’re just sitting on the couch doing nothing for hours prior to bedtime, it’s hard for the brain to distinguish, ‘OK, bed is the time for real rest and restoration,” Troxel said.
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