The Most Overlooked Part of Health and Wellness
Sleep plays a vital role in fitness and recovery, often being the most underrated aspect of a workout routine. While exercise and nutrition are important for building strength and muscle, sleep is when the body actually repairs and grows. In fact, sleep can significantly impact performance, injury prevention, and overall progress. So, let’s take a closer look at just a few ways that sleep impacts our overall health and wellness.
During deep sleep, the body goes into recovery mode - hormones which are key for muscle growth and tissue repair are released in higher quantities. This allows muscles to rebuild after the wear and tear caused by exercise. Without enough quality sleep, the body struggles to repair muscle fibers, leaving you prone to fatigue, reduced strength, delayed recovery, and even injury..
In addition to muscle recovery, sleep is crucial for energy restoration. The body's glycogen stores, which provide energy for workouts, are replenished during sleep. Lack of sleep can deplete these stores, leaving you feeling sluggish and less motivated to exercise. The less sleep we get, the more our aerobic output is reduced. Over time, poor sleep will impair endurance and exhaustion will set in more quickly, making cardio sessions feel more challenging and less effective. An underslept body also leads to faster buildup of lactic acid, and reduced efficiency at cooling itself during exercise (the ability to sweat).
Sleep also impacts mental recovery and focus. During sleep, the brain consolidates memories and processes emotional stress. This cognitive restoration helps you stay mentally sharp, improves reaction times, and maintain focus during workouts. A lack of sleep can lead to decreased motivation, poor decision-making, and difficulty concentrating, all of which hinder workout performance (not to mention how we function in our everyday lives!).
Sleep also influences hormones that regulate appetite and stress. Sleep deprivation increases cortisol levels (a stress hormone) while decreasing leptin, (the hormone that signals satiety). This imbalance can lead to overeating, poor food choices, and weight gain, all of which negatively affect our health and wellness.
The recommended amount of sleep for adults is typically 7–9 hours per night (even more for kids and teens), but individual needs can vary. Ensuring you get enough high-quality sleep is just as important as a solid workout routine and balanced nutrition. In the long run, prioritizing sleep not only boosts fitness progress but also enhances overall health and well-being, making it an essential component of any journey to health. So, take stock of your own sleep habits and routines and be real with yourself - where is there room for improvement and what will you commit to in order to start your path to better sleep?
