FITNESS TRAINING: ARTICLES

Exercise, Sleep and the Winter Blues
By John Hoeber, MS, RD

For many people, a good night's sleep has been hard to come by lately. High stess combined with the time change have caused many bleary eyes. To compound matters the coming season with its gray rainy days and long nights, not to mention holiday shopping and travel, offer little relief. Exercise can help ease stress levels and improve sleep.

Only 50 percent of Americans feel that they are getting enough sleep, and only 25 percent of them mothers. Sleep researchers tell us we are running a massive national sleep debt, causing us to be continually tired and performing at sub-optimal levels. Our bi-annual changing of the clock is followed by a week or more of adjustment. Even if we “fall back” and supposedly gain an hour of sleep our internal clock takes time to reset.

Office workers go to work in the dark, spend virtually all day indoors just to be greeted by the moon and stars when they emerge for their commute home. Days are colder and wetter so we don’t expose ourselves to the sun when we are outside. And the opportunity for vigorous and enjoyable outdoor activity has decreased markedly.

This combination of factors causes physical and emotional stress that can wreak havoc on energy levels, and need for sleep. Winter is a dormant period in nature, and many people want to hibernate. To keep your energy level high regular exercise is very important. It’s important physically to keep metabolism and fat burning potential high, and it’s important psychologically for improving mood and sleep.

Besides exercise, morning exercise in particular, some of the other things that can help you get a good night’s sleep are:

1. Avoiding caffeine and alcohol. The vicious cycle of a poor night’s sleep is first waking up tired, then powering through a busy day on caffeine. We get home exhausted and sometimes need a drink to get to sleep. The sleep that we get is rarely satisfying enough, and the cycle continues the next day.

2. Going to bed and getting up at nearly the same time everyday, including weekends.

3. Getting sunshine as early as possible, especially if you’re a frequent flyer.

4. Not working, eating, reading, or watching TV in bed.

5. Engaging in relaxing activities before bed such as reading, meditating, bathing, and stretching.

Exercising regularly during the rainy months will also ease the sense of loss we feel for our summertime activities. If you can find a winter time activity that is vigorous and enjoyable you can stave off the winter blah’s. This off season training should offer a challenge to keep your focus and allow you to arrive at “spring training” already in good shape.

Off-season training is a balance between two principles of fitness training: consistency and quality. For those just beginning a fitness program, consistency is the single most important factor in success, quality is less of a concern. Simply going to the gym or any other workout consistently three times per week on average will provide immediate results and the base for future progress when you’re able to focus on quality. Seasoned veterans on the other hand, or those training hard over the winter months need to chant the mantra “Quality over Quantity.” Often athletes push too hard without really listening to their body and the signs of over-training. In over-training, the side-effects of an intense workout that normally get better after a day or two – muscle and joint aches, fatigue - linger around until the next hard workout. After repeated intense workouts the fatigue turns into depletion, soreness into injury.

Ultimately, sleep is just as important as exercise. They act together in a beneficial cycle, each making the other easier to accomplish. The many changes that occur in this season demand that we listen intently to the needs of our bodies and put our health and happiness first.