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A good mixture of sleep and exercise is very important to maintain a good balance of physical and mental health. These two elements are the most vital components that will keep you alert and productive as you go on with your daily responsibilities and chores. With this in mind, logic will tell you to sleep more and exercise more. However, just as with everything else, a little too much of them can actually be detrimental to your body. In fact, it might just be as dangerous as having no sleep and exercise.
Studies have shown that people who suffer from insomnia have shown improvement once they started engaging in regular exercise. Moderate exercise has shown to reduce the anxiety that many people experience which interferes with their ability to have a sound sleep. It releases tension and drops the body’s temperature which will make it easier for someone to fall asleep.
Increasing the heart rate for about 20 to 30 minutes should be enough to reap the necessary benefits. This is a much safer and healthier choice than those expensive sleep medications that carry along with them potentially harmful adverse effects.
How Much Sleep Should I Get?
There are no exact fixed hours on the right amount of sleep that applies for everybody. Even with two people of the same age and gender, the amount of sleep that each of them require can be different. This will highly depend on just how much rest an individual needs to feel well-rested, energized, and happy upon waking up.
Still, experts say that the number of sleeping that an adult needs is anywhere between 7 and 8 hours. Anything less than this can lead to increased risk for serious health issues such as diabetes and a variety of heart problems along with obesity and decreased concentration. On the other side of the spectrum, too much sleep – particularly those that exceed 11 hours – has shown to also predispose a person to the same health issues.
How Much Exercise Should I Get?
When people really think about it, too much exercise may actually do the body more good than harm. For one, it burns more calories that will be especially advantageous to those who are looking to lose weight. Another benefit is that the body will be releasing more endorphins. Otherwise known as “happy hormones”, it will make a person more energized and refreshed.
One apparent disadvantage that goes along with too much exercising is the increase in appetite. Also, there is the danger of placing too much stress and strain to the body. In the end, this will only result in a burn out. With this in mind, it might be healthier to rest for at least a day or two from exercising in a week.
Just like everything else, the healthy benefits of sleep and exercise are best enjoyed when done in moderation. Excess of practically anything can be very harmful. It might be quite hard to really figure out the exact numbers of the required amounts of sleep and exercise that a single individual should get but everyone should try to listen to his/her own body and get a balance of both. The experts have said that 7 to 9 hours of sleep coupled with 5 days of exercising in a week is already enough to make anyone look and feel their best. It might be wise for anyone who is unsure to stay within these limits.
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Amy C. is a health and nutrition enthusiast. She enjoys learning about fitness trends and weight training techniques especially geared for people leading busy lifestyles. During her spare time, she helps DMac Industries, a b deck and steel deck fabrication company, with office administration and blogging activities. Stay tuned for her next post to learn more about Amy's health adventures.