And *oh praise be*, we can actually all do it…
And oh praise be, we can all do it…
It’s not twisting ourselves into super yoga knots, it’s not any sort of scary bootcamp or endurance running test. Nope, the one workout that scientists say will definitely help you sleep better is walking.
But before you dismiss this as click bait and sigh ‘FFS, that’s not even a real workout,’ hear them out. The health benefits, the Sleep Foundation says, are inarguable.
Their study compared the effects that a session of the moderate-intensity aerobic activity (walking) had on the time it took people with chronic insomnia to fall asleep, with when the group did a session of vigorous aerobic exercise (running) and a night where they did no exercise at all. Walking was the winner, showing the biggest reduction in the time it took to fall asleep.
In a video created by Dr Vonda Wright, MD, for the Huffington Post, studies concluded that the time of day that you go for your walk is also important. A 7am stroll will apparently lead to a 75% increase in deep sleep, but their researchers suggest that any walk is a good walk as long as it’s at least three hours before you head for bed.
The best bit, of course, is that walking is easy, it’s everywhere and it’s free. Obviously any exercise helps our body and mind and reduces anxiety. But with so many stresses, screens and other distractions, it’s harder than ever to switch off, so we’re keen to try any natural way to get us to fall into sleep mode quicker.
So insomniacs, listen up, go for a walk... and maybe get yourself a new puppy to go with?