24 Hour Gyms May Help You Sleep Better

   

Posted by RaySa

Feb 11, 2013

Exercise and rest are both vital to your wellbeing, and 24 hour gyms may help you sleep better. If you’re tossing and turning because your schedule doesn’t match the nine to five world, maybe you need a new fitness club.

You’ve probably heard advice about not exercising vigorously right before bed, but you may not have known why. It’s based on the theory that intense aerobic exercise increases stimulating hormones like adrenalin in your blood and raises your body’s core temperature slightly. Once elevated, your body temperature stays higher for a while and then falls to a temperature a bit lower than normal about six hours later. That cooling off makes it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.

This is all great if you get off work at 5, squeeze in a kickboxing class and loll around for several hours before bed. If you travel extensively or have a schedule that varies due to shift work or different classes each semester, it gets a lot more difficult.

A 24 hour gym will let you work out whenever is ideal for you. In addition to avoiding intense activity before bed, you may also want to work out as soon as you wake up no matter what time that happens to be. Some studies show that people burn more fat during workouts before breakfast or anytime their stomachs are empty.

We should mention that some experts think that working out regularly is the important thing and don’t attach much importance to the time of day so experiment to find what works for you. Almost everyone does agree that reducing your exposure to light for a couple of hours before you retire promotes better rest. That’s because TVs, computer screens and other sources of light trigger your brain to stay alert making this another good reason to visit a fitness club earlier in your day or evening.

Merritt Athletic Clubs is the largest fitness center operation in the Baltimore area with several 24 hour gyms to fit your lifestyle. These include the 24 HR Downtown Athletic Club, Buckingham, Canton, and Cranbrook facilities. Contact us to learn more.

Topics: Fitness Tips