By Michael Easter; Photography by Getty
Pretty simple.
Want to get fitter in the gym? Maybe you need to think outside the gym, literally.
Cleaning up your sleep habits means you’ll hit your muscle and performance goals faster and easier, says personal trainer Lisa MacDonald. She trains an eclectic group of women — stay-at-home moms to competitive athletes — and once they establish a sleep routine, results follow. That’s because adequate sleep triggers testosterone, which builds muscle, while not sleeping enough can spur a release in cortisol, the hormone that breaks down muscle, says Dr Christopher Winter, who studies the link between fitness and sleep. Here are a few tips for keeping yourself fitter and far from fatigue.
READ MORE: Sculpt Tight, Sexy Abs With This 15-Minute Crop Top Workout
Avoid late nights
Your body pumps out the majority of the strength- and muscle-building hormone testosterone during the first three hours of your regular sleep pattern, says Winter. Miss that window and, even if you log eight hours, you still lose the night’s most important muscle-building moment. First establish a consistent sleep schedule — go to bed at 10 and wake at five or six, for example. Then stick to it, limiting your late nights to a few a month.
Cue a wind-down
That 7pm boot-camp class not only helps you pack on lean muscle but is also a fun way to work off the day’s stress. The problem: It amps your central nervous system for hours. “You can’t immediately go from 100 to zero,” says MacDonald. “If you don’t establish a routine to relax each night, your sleep will suffer.” An hour before bed, take a bath and read a book, says MacDonald. Then instead of reaching for a glass of pinot, try a protein shake. Alcohol can interfere with your ability to sleep, says Winter, while protein gives your body muscle-building blocks, says nutritionist Dr Krista Scott-Dixon.
READ MORE: This Is The Best Diet for Losing Fat and Building Muscle
Black out your bedroom
Even the faintest light can blunt the release of the sleep hormone melatonin, says Winter. With that in mind, MacDonald has all her clients turn their bedrooms into modern-day Paleolithic caves. “If you draw the shades and turn out the lights, you shouldn’t be able to see anything,” she says. Hang light-blocking curtains over your windows and remove electronics like TVs and computers – their LED blue lights are particularly gnarly sleep saboteurs, according to a study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Can’t be far from your phone? Put it face-down or in “do not disturb” mode.
Here’s why your workout may be making you bloated. Plus: “I did a 30-day push-up challenge – here’s what happened”
This article was originally featured on www.womenshealthmag.com
