Exercise and Sleep

“Excuse me… can you please help!” I said weakly. The large man in the muscle shirt ran over to me and pulled the bar with a twenty-five pound weight on each side off my neck. I could breathe again, and the man said to me as he walked away, “May not be a bad idea to get a spotter.” Being the hot-headed teenager that I was, but not dumb enough to say anything, my anger brewed inside of me as I digested this man’s innocent words. Later that night, after a sorry excuse of a workout, I lied down on my mattress and the ache in my back throbbed.

Have you ever worked out real hard, and then lied down on the mattress to feel that ache in your back? I always assumed that was a good thing, but then I later found out from a trainer at Spectrum Fitness that the ache in your back is not a good thing because it generally means you are lifting too much weight. Still in my teenage years of invincibility, it was hard news to hear. However, today I am twice as old as I used to be and I now understand that exercise is extraordinarily vital to healthy sleep.

Obesity is often attributed to many sleep problems; one of the most common sleep ailment is sleep apnea. People who are diagnosed with sleep apnea repeatedly stop breathing while they sleep. This condition can be scary because a loss of oxygen to the brain can lead to serious conditions such as stroke, heart attack and congestive heart failure. Not to mention that sleep apnea deprives the human body from receiving sleep that helps the body recover. Now, I am not a physician, so if you think you suffer from sleep apnea, then please treat that condition first. Once you have that condition under control, then consider getting with your doctor on a weight loss program. Studies have shown that weight loss often improves, and sometimes even cures, sleep apnea.

If you’re interested in a gym, then check out Olinde’s Mattress Superstore at Southdown’s neighbor, Spectrum Fitness Southdowns. Plus, Olinde’s Mattress Superstore provides a 10% discount to all Spectrum members if you are in the market for a new mattress as well J Spectrum Fitness Southdowns is located at 4355 Perkins Rd. in Baton Rouge or you can call them at 225-923-3490 or check out their website at www.southdowns.spectrumfitness.com

- Andrew Olinde, Jr.