Rhodri Whittaker said remembering this will do a “world of good”
A Liverpool personal trainer has revealed the “one thing” people don’t think about when it comes to their fitness. Rhodri Whittaker, from Castle Street’s Absolute Body Solutions, said including this one thing into your workout regime will do “a world of good”.
The fitness fanatic explained that thinking about sleep when looking to the week ahead and your goals is “very important.” The PT claimed “sleep is the best meditation.”
He told the ECHO: “Some may need more or less, but the average person needs at least 8 hours sleep per night and an absolute minimum of 6 hours. On occasion, a short nap of around 20 minutes can also help the body, but this is entirely dependent on the person.”
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Below, Rhodri shares why sleep is so important:
Help your muscles recover
The body has many functions, and when we’re awake, it has to focus on keeping us alert, moving, digesting food and more. While we sleep however, the body can fully focus on muscular recovery, not necessarily from exercising, but also from injury. This is why it’s so important to get enough sleep, as our body can put all of its efforts into repairing muscle.
Learn in your slumber
Rhodri said that our brains do the most learning while we sleep. So, if you’ve had a long day at work, school or uni, getting enough sleep can help absorb and retain information. He said it has also been shown that short naps can help retain information longer and better. So, if you’ve taken on a large amount in the day, plan a strategic nap afterwards to help you absorb everything more optimally.
Improve your sleep hygiene
Rhodri said the best ways you can improve your sleep quality for the best night’s sleep can be narrowed down to the follow:
- Avoid blue light at least an hour before bed (steer clear from your iPhone, tablet, laptop or tv screens).
- Blacked out bedroom with blackout blind, ensuring there is no natural light creeping through and it is the darkest you can make it.
- Make sure your bedroom temperature is cool, not warm.
- Get lots of magnesium in your diet/supplement it.
- Epsom salt baths to help unwind and relax before bed.
- Set a consistent bedtime and wake up time, plus keep meal frequency and timings consistent to help routine.
- Avoid caffeine after 1pm and stay hydrated.
He added: “Some people can sleep the minute their head touches the pillow, however, that’s not the case for everyone. If you suffer with being able to fall asleep easily, take a look at these steps”.
- Try 5 minutes of deep breathing before bed.
- Add complex carbs to your last meal before bed to stimulate the release of serotonin, making you more sleepy.
- Eat casein or dairy an hour before you sleep.
- Have trouble breathing? Try nasal strips.
- Supplement melatonin, but only to induce routine. This should only be taken for around a week until you’re in a routine.
