Think you already know the formula for getting in shape fast?
Eat clean, work out every day, and avoid the bad stuff, right? Think again. If you are having trouble keeping off the lbs or you just hit a plateau in your workout routine, then you will want to wake up and listen up.
SHW Boot Camp in NYC & LI starts at 5:30am, just before sunrise. So the ladies and I know a thing or 2 about the importance of getting our beauty sleep. (*Next outdoor session starts Monday 5/31!)
Lemme break it down – the most recent research has revealed something that will hurt more than the sound of your ear piercing alarm did this morning: adequate rest plays an important role in your ability to (or not to) shed extra pounds.
Does sleep deprivation cause you to gain weight? WAKE UP! The answer is Yes!
Sound familiar? Slug down 3 Ventis, stay late at work, pick up some fried & processed nibblybits on the way home, pass out with the crumbs on your chest/blackberry in hand/TV blaring. Wake up exhausted aaaaand repeat.
Most people are unaware of the implications that not getting enough sleep has on your health.
Besides helping you STORE fat around the middle, lack of sleep decreases libido and overall desire for sex. Chronic sleep loss makes you irritable and anxious, ages your skin faster, decreases concentration, and increases stress levels. Simply put, when you are sleepy your threshold to deal with life is lowered, making you more likely to become sick and tired of being sick and tired.
So how are your WEIGHT LOSS efforts Effected by lack of sleep?
a) When you are tired it can be all the more difficult to make healthy decisions. The gym takes a back seat and you tend to seek out comfort food or alcohol to fill the sleep-void. Endless dirty cycle!
b) Since the positive effects of exercise are actually processed DURING REST and not on the actual gym floor or treadmill itself. Without adequate rest, a lot of your hard muscle burning work is going to waste.
c) 2 important hormones are negatively effected. Ghrelin INCREASES (hormone that lets our body know when it’s feeling hungry.) Leptin DECREASES (hormone that tells the brain when it should stop eating.) This results in your body frequently craving high carb foods and not feeling full once you’ve scarffed down every highly processed morsel in sight. (IE – hell on earth.)
Here are SHW Boot camp’s HOT tips for a good night’s sleep (And sure fire way to a healthier lifestyle)
Most research says 7 hours is the optimal range to reep the benefits of a healthy recovery and restorative night’s sleep. Getting to bed earlier at night (rather than sleeping later) to log your 7 hours is the most effective strategy. (Therefore sleeping-in to make up for a 2 am bed time will not yield the same results, even if it is 7 hours.)
1. Don’t watch TV before tucking yourself in. Often people will tell me they “cant get to bed earlier than 12am” but when pressed, they admit that about 2 hours of that time is actually spent in front of mindless TV. Try reading a book or talking to your boyfriend. Wind down by quietly reviewing your day and invasion ways that you can improve yourself for tomorrow.
2. Exercise on a regular schedule. Leaving a workout until you can “find the time” will NEVER happen. Schedule your workouts like any other important meeting on your calendar. Hook up with a friend for a run, join a group of fitness freaks (StrongHealthyWoman.com) or hire a trainer lock you into a routine.
3. Keep a pen and pad bedside to jot down racing thoughts. Difficulty sleeping because of a racing mind playing out past, present and future events can easily keep you up for hours. Getting stressful to-do’s or important items you need to remember out of your head and on to the paper will quickly quite down a noisy mind and allow you to relax.
4. Shut Down work and all electronic devices well before going to sleep. High anxiety levels and a racing mind before bed will continue for hours once your head hits the pillow. Stop all work activities & social networks at least 2 hours before going to sleep and replace that with reading, meditating or other soothing activities.
5. Prioritize your next day To-Do list before leaving work for the night. Being able to hit the ground running 1st thing in the morning with a solid plan of action will limit time spent lolly gagging around deciding on what to do next and will limit the amount of anxiety or stress about the day to come. START with the most difficult task 1st and leave the busy work – emails/phone calls/paper work to the end.
Now, I am off to bed!
Your Fun Fanatical Fitness Expert,
Laura Miranda, MsPT, CSCS
www.StrongHealthyWoman.com
Fat Loss Boot Camps & Personal Training (NYC & LI)
646.454.0777
Boot Camp in NYC & LI: Get in, get fit, get HOT!
