Society has a huge focus on physical health and there are crazy obsessions about exercise and eating with workout programs and dieting ideas popping up every day. With such focus on fitness it is surprising how often sleeping is overlooked. Sleeping will make up one-third of your and has powerful effects on your overall health. Here are the steps you need to take in order to get that restful night that your body needs.
The Pool This is the obvious place to start. Swimming puts very little stress on your knees and is a great workout. I have made it a habit to go to the pool and swim laps after work and so far it has been successful. At the pool you can alternate between strokes to maintain your workout without wearing yourself out too quickly. Usually I will swim crawl for a few laps and then switch over to sidestroke or backstroke to rest.
* Schedule-This is probably the most important part of a good night's sleep. Go to bed the same time everyday including on weekends and even holidays. I know it is difficult not to stay up on Friday when it is your only chance but being consistent will reinforce your body's rhythm and help you grow tired around the same time every night as melatonin (chemical used to help you nod off) will be created regularly. The same goes for the time you wake up each day. If you do want to change the time that you get up and grow tired each day it is easiest to do it in small increments and adjust your schedule. * Ritual-As you are getting ready to go to bed each night stick with the same activities. These could include lying on the couch reading a book or taking a shower. Try not to include your ritual activities on your bed but do them somewhere else in the house. By reserving the bed for sleep or romance your body will take the cue and know what your intentions are when you lay down.
Jump rope Great for getting your heart rate up and works out your calves, shoulders, and forearms especially. You need to be careful with this exercise depending on the level of knee damage that you have experienced. My particular issue is putting pressure on my knee when it is bent more than 140 degrees. The benefit of jump rope is that your legs stay relatively straight and there is no extreme pressure on the joint. You are also landing on two feet as opposed to running which places all the stress on one knee at a time. Jump rope is a great exercise and burns quite a bit of calories. Running which is the most efficient exercise burns about 880 calories in an hour while a fast jump rope burns around 840 calories per hour. This is one of my favorite exercises to use as a warm-up and warm down for weightlifting.
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Learn to Relax
* Dim Lights and Dark Room - Before you are about to head to bed dim the lights to help you relax and turn them off as you nod off. If the room is not dark enough get a sleeping mask to cover your eyes. * Comfortable Bed - This one involves a little experimentation and bit of cash. If you end up waking with a sore back of neck you should probably change your pillow or mattress. If you are feeling a little stingy purchasing a new mattress remember that you will spend a third of your life asleep on the thing so make sure to get quality * Cool Room - If your room is too cold or too hot you will wake up shivering or sweating. Try and keep your room at around 65 degrees (slightly cool) to help you sleep. * Reduce Noise- Whether this be closing the doors and windows or adding insulation to the walls keep the noise out. If you can't do this there is always the option of white noise like static or a fan running to help you relax. *
Random Calisthenics These are leg exercises that involve little to no knee movement. They include static leg extensions (holding out your legs straight in front of you from a chair) and flutter kicks (same movement from the pool just lying on your back on dry land). After working your legs flip over and do pushups (wide, normal, and inside). Use a kettle bell to do straight arms lifts and then grab a bar for pull-ups. By combining a number of exercises together you can get a good workout without affecting your knees.
- The most important tactic is learning how to relax your mind because even with the perfect setting you will keep yourself up in your thoughts. Organize everything that you may worry about before heading to bed and then whether or not you got everything done empty the worries from your head. You can do this through meditation or relaxation exercises.
Along with good exercises there are a number of exercises you should avoid. These may include basketball and volleyball (jumping), sports involving running, and squats or leg presses. It really depends on your injury but know your limits and don't make sure not to further injure yourself. A perk of getting in shape is that many health insurance companies will lower our premiums if you report regular exercise and take a health inspection annually. So along with a great body you get affordable health insurance. I hope these ideas helped and get you back to a healthy lifestyle.
The Pool This is the obvious place to start. Swimming puts very little stress on your knees and is a great workout. I have made it a habit to go to the pool and swim laps after work and so far it has been successful. At the pool you can alternate between strokes to maintain your workout without wearing yourself out too quickly. Usually I will swim crawl for a few laps and then switch over to sidestroke or backstroke to rest.
* Schedule-This is probably the most important part of a good night's sleep. Go to bed the same time everyday including on weekends and even holidays. I know it is difficult not to stay up on Friday when it is your only chance but being consistent will reinforce your body's rhythm and help you grow tired around the same time every night as melatonin (chemical used to help you nod off) will be created regularly. The same goes for the time you wake up each day. If you do want to change the time that you get up and grow tired each day it is easiest to do it in small increments and adjust your schedule. * Ritual-As you are getting ready to go to bed each night stick with the same activities. These could include lying on the couch reading a book or taking a shower. Try not to include your ritual activities on your bed but do them somewhere else in the house. By reserving the bed for sleep or romance your body will take the cue and know what your intentions are when you lay down.
Jump rope Great for getting your heart rate up and works out your calves, shoulders, and forearms especially. You need to be careful with this exercise depending on the level of knee damage that you have experienced. My particular issue is putting pressure on my knee when it is bent more than 140 degrees. The benefit of jump rope is that your legs stay relatively straight and there is no extreme pressure on the joint. You are also landing on two feet as opposed to running which places all the stress on one knee at a time. Jump rope is a great exercise and burns quite a bit of calories. Running which is the most efficient exercise burns about 880 calories in an hour while a fast jump rope burns around 840 calories per hour. This is one of my favorite exercises to use as a warm-up and warm down for weightlifting.
An umbrella policy provides additional protection that engages after your initial homeowners insurance is exhausted. An umbrella policy is an excellent safeguard that is worth thinking about.
Learn to Relax
* Dim Lights and Dark Room - Before you are about to head to bed dim the lights to help you relax and turn them off as you nod off. If the room is not dark enough get a sleeping mask to cover your eyes. * Comfortable Bed - This one involves a little experimentation and bit of cash. If you end up waking with a sore back of neck you should probably change your pillow or mattress. If you are feeling a little stingy purchasing a new mattress remember that you will spend a third of your life asleep on the thing so make sure to get quality * Cool Room - If your room is too cold or too hot you will wake up shivering or sweating. Try and keep your room at around 65 degrees (slightly cool) to help you sleep. * Reduce Noise- Whether this be closing the doors and windows or adding insulation to the walls keep the noise out. If you can't do this there is always the option of white noise like static or a fan running to help you relax. *
Random Calisthenics These are leg exercises that involve little to no knee movement. They include static leg extensions (holding out your legs straight in front of you from a chair) and flutter kicks (same movement from the pool just lying on your back on dry land). After working your legs flip over and do pushups (wide, normal, and inside). Use a kettle bell to do straight arms lifts and then grab a bar for pull-ups. By combining a number of exercises together you can get a good workout without affecting your knees.
- The most important tactic is learning how to relax your mind because even with the perfect setting you will keep yourself up in your thoughts. Organize everything that you may worry about before heading to bed and then whether or not you got everything done empty the worries from your head. You can do this through meditation or relaxation exercises.
Along with good exercises there are a number of exercises you should avoid. These may include basketball and volleyball (jumping), sports involving running, and squats or leg presses. It really depends on your injury but know your limits and don't make sure not to further injure yourself. A perk of getting in shape is that many health insurance companies will lower our premiums if you report regular exercise and take a health inspection annually. So along with a great body you get affordable health insurance. I hope these ideas helped and get you back to a healthy lifestyle.
About the Author:
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