BOXING FITNESS NEWSLETTER

We all know that regular exercise is good it is for us, and research finds new benefits every day. Regular exercise improves heart health and blood pressure, builds bone and muscle, helps combat stress and muscle tension, and can even improve mood.

Now you can add one more benefit: sound sleep. Exercise can help you sleep sounder and longer and feel more awake during the day. The key is found in the type of exercise you choose and the time you participate in it during the day.

Finding the right time to exercise:

Exercising vigorously right before bed or within about three hours of your bedtime can actually make it harder to fall asleep. It's often thought that a good workout before bed helps you feel more tired. In actuality, vigorous exercise right before bed stimulates your heart, brain and muscles -- the opposite of what you want at bedtime.

To get a more direct sleep-promoting benefit from morning exercise, however, you can couple it with exposure to outdoor light. Being exposed to natural light in the morning, whether you're exercising or not, can improve your sleep at night by reinforcing your body's sleep-wake cycle.

When it comes to having a direct effect on getting a good night's sleep, it's vigorous exercise in the late afternoon or early evening that appears most beneficial. That's because it raises your body temperature above normal a few hours before bed, allowing it to start falling just as you're getting ready for bed.

Try to schedule at least 20 minutes of vigorous exercise three or four times a week. Choose whatever activity you enjoy. Take a fitness boxing class, go for a run, swim, bike, ski, play tennis, walk the dog -- just make it part of your routine.

How to sleep better: Eat right and get regular exercise

Your daytime eating and exercise habits play a role in how well you sleep.

Cut down on caffeine.

Caffeine can cause sleep problems up to ten to twelve hours after drinking it! Consider eliminating caffeine after lunch or cutting back your overall intake.

Quit smoking.

Smoking causes sleep troubles in numerous ways. Nicotine is a stimulant, which disrupts sleep. Additionally, smokers actually experience nicotine withdrawal as the night progresses, making it hard to sleep.

If you have any serious medical conditions, are very overweight, or haven't exercised in years, talk to your doctor about your plans for exercising before you begin. Make sure to start exercising slowly, gradually increasing your workout time and intensity, so you don't get sidelined by injury. Remember, regular exercise can help you feel, look and sleep better.