THIS is another in a series of articles intended to expose our readers to pertinent information regarding their fitness efforts. It is produced mainly on the basis of research done by Rodriguez “Rodja” Constantine, owner of REPTS (Registered Exercise Professionals & Therapists) and co-producer and host of FIT4LIFE the new television fitness programme on DBS (5:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Mon – Fri). Rodja has over 20 years experience in the field.
SLEEP TIME AND HEALTHIER
WEIGHT
Prior research has shown that not getting enough sleep can impact your weight, but new BYU research finds the consistency of your bed time and wake time can also influence body fat.
Exercise science professor Bruce Bailey studied more than 300 women from two major Western U.S. universities over the course of several weeks and found that those with the best sleeping habits had healthier weights.
The main findings from the study, published online in the American Journal of Health Promotion: • A consistent bed time and, especially, a consistent wake time are related to lower body fat. • Getting less than 6.5 or more than 8.5 hours of sleep per night is associated with higher body fat. • Quality of sleep is important for body composition.
Women in the study were first assessed for body composition, and then were given an activity tracker to record their movements during the day and their sleep patterns at night. Researchers tracked sleep patterns of the participants (ages 17-26) for one week.
The most surprising finding from the study, according to the researchers, was the link between bed time and wake time consistency and body weight. Study participants who went to bed and woke up at, or around the same time each day had lower body fat. Those with more than 90 minutes of variation in sleep and wake time during the week had higher body fat than those with less than 60 minutes of variation.
Wake time was particularly linked to body fat: Those who woke up at the same time each morning had lower body fat. Staying up late and even sleeping in may be doing more harm than good, Bailey said. “We have these internal clocks and throwing them off and not allowing them to get into a pattern does have an impact on our physiology,” Bailey said.
Bailey related consistent sleep patterns to having good sleep hygiene. When sleep hygiene is altered, it can influence physical activity patterns, and affect some of the hormones related to food consumption contributing to excess body fat.
Bailey and his team also found there was a sweet spot for amount of sleep: Those who slept between 8 and 8.5 hours per night had the lowest body fat.
Sleep quality also proved to have a strong relationship to body fat. Sleep quality is a measure of how effective sleep is, or how much time spent in bed is spent sleeping. Those who had better sleep quality had lower body fat.
To improve sleep quality Bailey recommended exercising, keeping the temperature in the room cool, having a quiet room, having a dark room, and using beds only for sleeping.
“Sleep is often a casualty of trying to do more and be better and it is often sacrificed, especially by college students, who kind of wear it as a badge of honour,” Bailey said. The same is true for any goal oriented person who tends to prioritize career and entrepreneurial aspirations, etc as being more important that personal wellness, which includes good quality sleep. Ironically getting good quality sleep could be the difference between failure and success for all of us.
Sources:
Consistent Bed, Wake Time Linked to Healthier Weight
Objectively Measured Sleep Patterns in Young Adult Women and the Relationship to Adiposity.
In the meantime here’s a fitness programme to help you shed unwanted pounds, trim excess body fat, and sculpt a lean body. Each week, the workouts will become progressively challenging to keep you motivated toward your fitness and weight loss goals. Each exercise should be performed in sequence with one day of rest in between and each should eventually be completed within 30 to 45 minutes. This programme is FREE and available by email to all readers. Personalized programmes are also available for a nominal fee. Subscribe to our website as reptsfitness.com to receivethis week’s workout FREE , or contact us via our website to request your FREE personalized workout programme for one body part of your choosing (i.e. arms, legs, glutes, etc.). Simply provide a brief description of what kind of results you would like and we’ll do the rest. You may also contact Rodja) or visit our website at reptsfitness.com or our facebook page at faceboook.com/repts.fitness for more information and videos.
Rodriguez”Rodja” Constantine is a Certified Personal Trainer, Fitness Consultant and owner of REPTS ( Registered Exercise Professionals & Therapists), a Personal Wellness studio located in the Richard Frederick Building in Castries and in Rodney Bay opposite RJ Clarke. Rodja has over 20 years fitness experience and through REPTS offers all inclusive upgradeable wellness packages (Personal and small Group Training, Body Analysis, Nutrition Counselling and Planning, NutriCare, FREE Gym Membership, Physio Fitness, and etc.) for one affordable monthly fee. Rodja also designs long term fitness plans and short term workout routines for use at home, your current gym, or when travelling. We invite you to visit REPTS for a free consultation and a tailored programme that will best help you achieve your fitness goal. You may call at anytime at 758-722-3763 during business hours (4:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.) to schedule an FREE consultation and trial session. Call for details.