KEEPING FIT
Nothing like a good sleep
Take a deep breath
Sleep is one of the five factors of good health and is within our control. THEO SHEMANSKY lists ways to improve your sleep and your health with it.
Maximise the amount of oxygen you take in with each breath and enjoy the benefits, writes TRISTAN HALL.
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leep is vitally important to our health. Ignore it and you risk more than just feeling tired. Habits and routines are powerful and make it easier to set yourself up for success. By incorporating the following principles into your bedtime routine, both the quality and quantity of your sleep will improve, and with it your fitness and health. 1. No caffeine after 10am – Caffeine has a half-life of six hours, so aim to have your last dose 12-14hrs before you plan to go to bed. Also look to avoid alcohol in the evening as its sedative effect will actually cause disruption to the different phases of sleep. 2. Limit liquids in the last two hours before bedtime – This will assist in preventing your bladder from waking you during the night. 3. Stop using all screens one hour before bedtime – Blue light is emitted by TVs, laptops, computers, phones, tablets etc and it negatively impacts sleep. 4. Bring the bedroom temperature to between 17-20C – This will hasten the speed with which you go to sleep and deepen the phases of sleep as well. 5. Lights out by 10pm – Our body’s rhythm (the circadian rhythm) runs according to
the amount of light and darkness in a day. You will get most of your deep sleep between 10pm and 2am. The body does not go into deep sleep phases after 2am. 6. Complete darkness and complete silence – Your body is sensitive to light. Window coverings need to be as black as possible, and light emitting devices such as clocks and phones need to be kept outside of the bedroom. 7. Try and wake up without an alarm – This means you wake up when you are ready to or meant to. 8. Invest in a good mattress, pillow and blanket – A good pillow, mattress, blanket and sheets matters to your sleep. 9. Track the quality and quantity of your sleep – Anything that is measured improves. Start with a sleep journal beside your bed and log how long you sleep for and how you rated your sleep. 10. Walk it out – If you have been in bed awake for more than 25-30 minutes don’t stay in bed as your brain will “learn” that your bed is the place to stay awake rather than sleep. Do something minimal in dim light such as reading, until tired and then go back to bed. Theo Shemansky is a movement specialist. Visit fitmedpulse.com
our lungs are fully formed in your mid-20s when they can hold around six litres of air. By your 40s, lung capacity can decline. As you age, aside from respiratory diseases, most deterioration in lung capacity is due to poor cardiovascular health and loss of muscle strength, but that can be changed. The lungs are supported by the diaphragm and the ribcage, so the health of these affects how well lungs function. Better breathing has countless benefits including calming your nerves, lifting mood, focusing mental attention, helping you sleep and improving posture. Here are some way to help breathe better: 1. Switch to diaphragm breathing. Lie down comfortably on your back. Place one hand on your upper chest and the other just below your rib cage. Breathe in slowly through your nose so your stomach moves out against your lower hand. The hand on your chest should remain as still as possible. Inhale deeply. Exhale through pursed lips while tightening your stomach muscles, letting them fall inward. Diaphragm breathing can slow your heartbeat and lower and stabilise blood
pressure. It’s your easy route to full oxygen exchange, when incoming oxygen is traded for carbon dioxide. 2. Strengthen core and upper body. Do some exercises that work your core. This will build up your diaphragm muscles. Use hand weights to work arms and shoulders. This improves posture and bone density and strengthen the chest. 3. Get more from your walks. Vary your daily walk so you breathe harder. You could try a hilly road, walk on soft sand or add a stairway. Carrying hand weights can help. The point is to get your heart rate and breathing rate up. This will increase the oxygen exchange and improve lung capacity. Tristan Hall is an exercise physiologist. Visit fullcirlcewellness.com.au
AND THE WINNERS ARE… Congratulations to the winners of the competition to win a copy of Tom’s Law Fit Happens by veteran personal trainer Tom Law. They are Sue Whiting of Traveston and Tony and Stella Gerlach, of Buderim.
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CALL 07 5445 7044 | www.rangecare.com.au | Follow us on Facebook 8 YOUR TIME MAGAZINE / August 2020
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