EXERCISE is a primary component of every health program. Your mom
said when you were young, to get plenty of exercise, sunshine,
sleep, and to
carefully choose your friends (lifestyle). Exercise
through the day, not only burns calories, but improves sleep. Please
refer both to our Body Buddy and Education sections for more about
how to find exercise more fun and scheduled with a special friend
called a "Body Buddy".
If you
have already crossed the line into the significantly obese group,
you may find it physically difficult to even initiate an exercise
program. Approximately 80% of the sleep patients referred to our
sleep laboratories are exactly this way: too heavy to even want to
exercise.
They also have so much extra tissue in their neck and chin
areas that air does not pass normally while they sleep. They
therefore develop a
condition, called sleep apnea.
DIET AND EXERCISE
Everyone knows these are the core changes. The other
factors such as stress, daily lifestyle, measurement, and rest help
you stay on your diet and find time to have regular exercise.
Patients ask us what is THE ONE thing that they should do to lose
weight? Interestingly, studies point to smaller meals or calorie
reduction. However, to push the meal away is far harder to do
than say. It take a major emotional commitment.
We interviewed an endocrinologist and physical
trainer. Two different perspectives were presented. Of the two, we like
exercise. It raises endorphins, it takes you to an unstressed
world, gives self-confidence, connects you to others, and rearranges
your entire day (lifestyle modification). As a sleep specialist, I can
say that the best healthy way to get a good night's sleep is to have
daily exercise. Exercise greatly reduces insomnia and improves an
extremely important deep wave stage of sleep.
We can repeat the mantra of diet and exercise until you give-up and
blame something else like aging or the economy. But the anagram
S.L.I.M.M.E.R. on our home page was carefully selected, and, in fact,
the anagram was the origin of our projects name.
There are many subtle epidemics. Today, two big
ones are obesity and sleep deprivation. Exercise
helps both. Sleep is needed to have the motivation or basic energy to
get out and exercise or have the self-control to limit foods or need
comfort foods. Take the time to read more about both, especially if you
can do it while exercising!
A
REALLY "HEALTHIER SLIMMER YOU" NEEDS ALL THREE ELEMENTS: DIET, EXERCISE,
AND SLEEP.
BUT EXERCISE MAKES
YOU SLEEP BETTER AND MAKES
YOU EAT BETTER (ASK EVERY ATHLETE OR REGULAR EXERCISER)...so given
any FIRST intervention, exercise makes the other main efforts a natural
consequence. We originally even called the "body buddy" the "exercise
body buddy", but realized that your buddy needs to do much more than
exercise with you to sustain the relationship, and a healthier "you".
Please read the linked articles that say that sleep is needed to "get
those extra pounds off" and that exercise induces important stage sleep.
The result is a healthier, slimmer body (and mind).
http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-topics/diet-exercise-and-sleep
. While somewhat lengthy an article by a sleep specialist, like myself,
tells of his observations and exercise prescriptions:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/qanta-ahmed/how-exercise-enables-slee_b_462156.html
If you have an
obesity-related sleep condition, such as sleep apnea, recognition
and treatment is mandatory.
The sleep condition must be repaired. Options include weight loss or
airway surgery, but initially CPAP or continuous positive airway
pressure is given. Testing and later use
of an external mask or surgical intervention, can be detailed at our
Slimmer Success Center. Incidentally, repair
of sleep apnea will simultaneously improve blood pressures, your sex
life, depression, and potential serious medical events, including,
most importantly, heart attacks and strokes. Therefore, we will
strongly encourage all patients to eliminate sleep abnormalities so
that they can improve almost every other aspect of daily living.
