“Cardio routine can nurture sweet dreams - Calgary Herald” plus 1 more

Cardio routine can nurture sweet dreams - Calgary Herald

Posted: 26 Sep 2010 04:53 PM PDT

Sleepless and sedentary? Instead of counting sheep in a field, try running through a meadow.

Experts agree that an aerobic exercise routine during the day can keep you from tossing and turning at night, even if they're not sure why.

"The bottom line is we really don't know why people tell us that exercise helps them sleep," said Dr. David Davila of the National Sleep Foundation.

"But if people are normally active, reaching their aerobic goals, chances are they will sleep the right amount for what they need."

Davila, who practices sleep medicine in Little Rock, Arkansas, said the low-grade sleep deprivation suffered by many time-pressed, under-rested Americans has a cumulative effect.

"People have more car accidents and what they call 'presentee-ism', or poor performance, at work," he said. "There are fallouts for the average person."

But evidence is emerging that aerobic exercise can offer relief from insomnia.

A recent study at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois tracked 23 previously sedentary adults, primarily women 55 and older, who had difficulty falling or staying asleep.

After 16 weeks on an aerobics training program that included exercising on a treadmill or stationery bicycle, average sleep quality improved.

"Most of poor sleepers became good sleepers," said Dr. Phyllis Zee, the lead researcher in the study, which was funded by the National Institute on Aging.

She said an earlier study using Tai Chi showed less dramatic results, as did a control group doing non-physical activities such as cooking classes and museum lectures.

"This is the first time that I'm aware of where we've looked at the benefits of aerobic exercise as a treatment modality in a population with insomnia," Zee said.

She added that she sees a lot of patients with insomnia, which afflicts 25 percent of the population and can reach as high as 40 percent in older people.

"We tell them to get regular exercise. But we really don't emphasize how to exercise."

If your schedule dictates that you can only hit the gym at 5 a.m. Dr. Shawn D. Youngstedt, an expert on sleep and exercise at the University of South Carolina, believes that an hour of exercise can do more good than an extra hour of sleep.

"There's no scientific evidence that people need eight hours, seven is fine," he said. "It's far clearer that exercise has wonderful benefits. It's better than drugs for diabetes, mental health, cancer prevention."

Dr. William Roberts, of the American College of Sports Medicine, cautions that for some people the time to exercise is not an hour before bed.

"To exercise close to sleep time is not good for everyone," he explained. "Try to get a half hour to an half hour of exercise early enough in the day and try to sleep on same schedule."

Roberts suggests doing something calming to wind down.

"Do not play video games," he said. "Read away from bed and then go to bed. Avoid caffeine and other stimulants before turning in."

The improved sleepers in Zee's study also reported better moods, fewer depressive symptoms and enhanced vitality.

"Vitality is everything," Zee said. "It's how somebody feels, how alert. If you think about the complaints of poor health, people will always say, 'I feel so tired.'"

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Alabama A&M students enjoying long-awaited Wellness Center - Everything Alabama Blog

Posted: 02 Oct 2010 09:15 AM PDT

Published: Saturday, October 02, 2010, 11:19 AM Updated: Saturday, October 02, 2010, 12:14 PM

HUNTSVILLE, AL -- Brandon Shipman spent part of his Friday afternoon lifting weights in the new Student Health and Wellness Center at Alabama A&M University.

And he was glad he finally got the chance.

A senior at A&M, Shipman has been paying student fees to help pay for the $15 million facility his entire time at A&M.

In fact, students have been paying $60 per semester in fees to pay for the center since 2002 despite a series of delays and setbacks in construction.

"It's been a long time in coming," Shipman said. "I thought I might be graduated before it opened up.

"I had a feeling I was going to come back and work out regardless."

The 78,000-square-foot facility, located at 4011 Meridian St., may be long overdue, but its grand opening Friday coinciding with homecoming activities revealed a recreational palace.

Highlights include an indoor swimming pool, a six-lane bowling alley, two full-court basketball courts, three racquetball courts, three aerobics rooms, a walking track and a 55-machine cardio room.

And wireless Internet.

"There are a lot of kids coming out," A&M sophomore Jeremy Isabelle said while shooting basketball on his first visit to the building. "As far as recruiting for the school, it gives the kids something else to look at."

Daniel Kasambira, director of the wellness center, said 2,429 students and 107 members of the faculty and staff at A&M had visited the building since its soft opening on Sept. 1.

"We think this is going to be a beacon in the community and bring others to understand that Alabama A&M is a great place," Kasambira said.

The pool area is a highlight, with floor-to-ceiling windows that give the sense of being outdoors but without the hassle of the heat or sunscreen.

Kasambira said the cardio room has been the most popular attraction so far, followed by the gym. But he said he expected the bowling alley would soon become a hot spot.

The Bulldogs have a successful bowling team and will host the first on-campus match Oct. 23 against Alabama State and Vanderbilt.

The facility is also open to the public, selling memberships for $40 to individuals or $55 for families. Senior citizen memberships go for $35.

Kasambira said the facility also employs 40 students on a part-time basis.

"I think its pretty good for the community and the students, for the students to have something to do," Isabelle said. "It also gives the students jobs. It turned out pretty good."

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Wednesday, October 13, 2010