Awakening the Secrets of Sleep - The Benefits of Rest for Better Workout Results

Alright, you're making progress and building good habits by working out, running and eating better, that's outstanding! Now, it is very important not to fall into a very common trap. Many people actually feel guilty after having gotten into the routine of working out, if they take a day off, but rest and recovery are often one of the most crucial parts of the fitness process. In this article we'll discuss how important sleep is to any good workout regime and why.
New trainees, especially those that have begun to see the results they've been dreaming of, have the tendency to over train. You see growth, so what better way than to push even harder for better results, right? Wrong! The muscles, like everything else in life, need time to rest and recover in order to grow. Taking a few days off will not kill your physique or diminish your results and can often give you the crucial time your body needs to repair the natural damage lifting and running can cause. When you come back to it you'll see that the time off helped and you're no worse off than you were when you left, you may even find that you've gotten stronger.
Sleep has an even greater impact on the overall results of your workouts. Why is this? Two words! Muscle recovery. Sleep is when all of the body's healing is done. When you exercise you are actually making small tears in your muscles and the growth that you see comes after those tears are repaired. When you sleep your metabolism naturally slows and the body releases hormones like human growth hormone that is essential in tissue repair and promotes the formation of proteins that the muscles need to grow. This is also the time that your immune system kicks into high gear and detoxify the organs and alleviating things like lactic acid from your tissues that make your muscles feel sore. As an added benefit the mind gets its best chance to unwind and relieve the stresses of the day that exercise hasn't taken care of. There is even a study that states that the benefits of exercise in the reduction of many cancers is muted and even reversed when sleep is deprived. It's that important!
We all know what it feels like the next day when you've had a poor night's sleep. The body is no different from the mind on that account. Professional athletes often schedule a nap in the middle of the day just to ensure that their bodies get the optimal amount of rest. Sleep effects mood, stress levels and the regulation of body chemicals, so it is imperative not only to get enough but to make sure that a regular sleep schedule is adhered to. Now with work, family, workouts and all the other stresses that you go through on a daily basis this is not always possible. But don't worry, 1 or 2 nights of poor sleep won't have too much of an impact on you however consistent negative sleep habits can affect not only the production of human growth hormone , but can also lead to an over production of cortisol often called the "stress hormone" and who needs more stress?
Here are a few ways to ensure a good night sleep and make certain that you get the proper recovery time for your muscles. First of all exercise regularly and take at least 1 day off per week from your workout for proper recovery. Avoid caffeine, take a warm bath, and drink chamomile tea before bed. Get outside, sunshine, especially during morning workouts, promotes proper sleep cycles, take a walk before or after dinner, exercise just prior to bedtime, turn off cell phones and other devices and keep them out of your room, also turn off the TV at least 30 minutes. before bed. All of these things can help you get to sleep faster and ensure that all of the restorative benefits of sleep are achieved. Nobody really understands all of the complexities of sleep but it works, so good night! For more Information please go to http://www.fitnesskeys4u.com There you will receive a free health chart.