Exercise before bed: the impact of evening workouts

Anyone who exercises before going to bed can expect sleepless nights and difficulty falling asleep. This myth has long been established in many people's minds. It is still the reason why some people no longer go running, play football or visit the gym in the evening.

In fact, this theory has now been disproved! Several studies have concluded that exercise has a positive impact on sleep – (almost) regardless of what time of day it is taken. This is because it results in a longer period of deep sleep, which is the best phase for the body to recuperate and recover.

But although most people benefit from evening workouts, there are, as is often the case, exceptions: some people react more sensitively to an evening workout than others. Their pulse seems to barely drop, even hours later, and falling asleep is out of the question. In fact, not only the timing, but also the wrong type of exercise can be the reason for sleeping problems.

The type of exercise that affects the body in the evening varies from person to person. As the saying goes: the proof of the pudding is in the eating! Here are some of the benefits of endurance and strength training before going to bed.

Moderate endurance sports such as cycling, swimming or running make you feel happy and exhausted before going to bed. This is because cardiovascular training releases the happiness hormones serotonin and endorphin, thereby enhancing your mood. Evening endurance sports are therefore particularly suitable for people who have trouble falling asleep due to stress and negative thoughts.

It is important to maintain a moderate heart rate during cardio training – especially if the exercise programme takes place just before going to bed. During extremely intense sessions such as HIIT workouts, your pulse rises sharply. Your body then takes longer to shut down again and enter sleep mode.

So when undertaking intensive cardio sessions, make sure you leave enough time before going to bed; two to four hours is ideal. A relaxing cool-down and breathing exercises can also help your cardiovascular system relax more quickly after cardio training.

By the way: if you want to use endurance training to lose weight, it is best to complete the session in the morning before breakfast. As your carbohydrate stores are depleted, your excess fat reserves provide the required energy.

Strength training before going to bed is a good way of achieving faster training results. If you lift weights in the gym in the evening, you can go straight to bed when you get home. While you are asleep, your strained muscles can recover without being further impacted by the stresses of everyday life. A protein-rich dinner ensures even faster muscle building. Find out more in our three tips for evening workouts.

Some people say that exercising before going to bed makes it harder for them to relax, regardless of their heart rate or the amount of time between exercising and going to bed. In this case, you should move your workouts to the morning, thereby benefiting from the invigorating impact of your training programme.

If you still want to exercise in the evening, you can include gentle sessions. Yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi and Qigong are types of exercise that focus on the balance between body and mind. Instead of intensive, rapid sequences, these involve poses and slow movement patterns accompanied by focussed breathing.

Stretching and toning your body increases flexibility and improves your physical awareness and blood circulation. As your heart rate remains low, these forms of exercise have no negative impact on sleep – on the contrary!

Under the right conditions, exercising in the evening can contribute to deeper sleep and better training results. Our three tips make it even easier to fall asleep after exercise!

It is important to leave the right amount of time between your evening workout and going to bed to ensure that sleep quality is not negatively affected. You should avoid any physical activity less than an hour before bedtime. Only relaxing yoga or Pilates exercises can be done immediately before bed.

If you still want to go running in the evening or complete other endurance workouts, make sure you leave a gap of two to four hours. This will allow your pulse to normalise after your workout and you will benefit from the tiring effects of your cardio session.

A relaxing cool-down is vital, especially after endurance sports. It ensures that your heart rate drops slowly to avoid circulatory problems. You can cool down by walking slowly or performing stretching exercises, for example. The important thing is that you don’t come to an immediate halt after exercising.

Intensive sports sessions also often finish with brief yoga flows. These are particularly useful in the evening in order to focus on relaxed breathing and a sense of bodily well-being. This helps you improve your sleep quality following exercise.

In addition to relaxation exercises, meditation, etc., you can also spend the time between your workout and going to bed eating a healthy meal. In order to avoid putting too much strain on your body before bedtime, we recommend a light, protein-rich dinner. Proteins in cottage cheese, yoghurt, low-fat quark and fish are ideal to finish off the day.

Carbohydrates also enable faster recovery after exercise. While proteins repair the micro-tears in your muscles, carbohydrates replenish your depleted glucose reserves.

Instead of a bread roll, it is better to choose complex carbohydrates with a high nutritional value. These include whole grains, vegetables, fruit and potatoes, for example. Pulses such as chickpeas are also a popular choice in the evening. The right dinner allows you to exercise extensively before going to bed and achieve greater success ‘overnight’.

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