4MV #201 Exercising but getting less than 6 hours good sleep ✔ Read this, it's important

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All strength to Ukraine 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦

Do you subscribe to Indiegogo? It's a crowdfunding platform that allows entrepreneurs to raise money for their projects. I've bought quite a few things for sleep and exercise and fun.

My latest purchase is from Snore Circle, which specialises in anti-snoring devices. This new one claims to be the world's smallest anti-snoring and sleep disturbance device. It's certainly a lot cheaper than the average APAP device.

It just arrived, so I will report on it after I use it for a few weeks (see below)

⇒ Warning: Spending on Indiegogo is not buying a product, rather it is supporting a project. If the project fails to deliver, then your money is lost.

It's often the case that the more you feel that you should exercise and don't do it, the harder it becomes to cross the valley of despair - here are ten tips to get you started - see item #2.

Is exercising consistently enough to keep your brain metabolically healthy? It turns out that good sleep is as important - see item #1.

⭑ Paying attention to sleep and exercise is required to stave off dementia ✔
⭑ How to get your exercise mojo fired up and keep it going ✔
⭑ Discover the surprising link between sunlight and quality sleep ✔
⭑ Doing these 3 simple exercises daily will make your shoulders feel great ✔

01 Exercise Staves Off Dementia - If You Get Enough Sleep

The aspect of this article that caught my attention is the connection between exercise, sleep, and cognitive performance. The findings suggest that while exercise is essential for overall well-being, it must be complemented with adequate sleep to protect against dementia and maintain optimal brain function.

It was published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity. Previous studies have highlighted the benefits, individually, of physical activity and sleep, for cognitive health. However, this research found that regular exercise alone may not prevent cognitive decline:

It followed 9,000 people in England aged 50 and above for a decade.
Participants sleeping between six and eight hours performed better on cognitive tests.
The most physically active participants also showed better cognitive performance.
People in their fifties and sixties who exercised a lot but slept less than six hours experienced rapid cognitive decline over the ten years.

⇒ This highlights the critical role of sleep in preserving cognitive health, particularly as we pass middle age.

Just arrived! I bought this because I snore. It's the latest and smallest anti-snoring and sleep apnea device (search "snore circle").

What this means for you: This study’s unique contribution lies in identifying a specific age group (those in their fifties and sixties) where the combination of exercise and sufficient sleep becomes particularly critical. The ten-year follow-up period provides substantial evidence supporting the long-term impact of these factors on cognitive decline.

Research has consistently shown a strong link between sleep and brain health. During sleep, autophagy breaks down and recycles damaged cell components, contributing to cellular health. This process, known as glymphatic clearance, enhances brain cleansing by removing toxins and waste products.

Exercise also helps improve the metabolic health of our brain, but not enough to overcome the negative consequences of insufficient sleep.

Here are some tips for promoting autophagy and brain cleansing during sleep:

Get enough sleep: The amount of sleep you need will vary depending on your age and individual needs, but most adults need around 7-8 hours of sleep per night.
Stick to a regular sleep schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even on weekends. This will help to regulate your circadian rhythm, which is important for sleep quality.
Create a relaxing bedtime routine: This could include taking a warm bath, reading a book, or listening to calming music. Avoid watching TV or using electronic devices in the hour before bed, as the blue light emitted from these devices can interfere with sleep.
Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool: These conditions are ideal for sleep.

AND, get out in the sun more often - see my item #3 below.

02 Ten Tips To Develop Good Exercise Habits And Keep Them

At the coffee shop, I'm often asked how to start exercising. I think this is because people notice that I look fit, old and approachable, which piques their interest. Everyone seems to have a friend who can’t get started or stick with it.

It’s understandable to feel a lack of motivation when it comes to exercising, especially if it has persisted for a long time.

I never "exercised" when I was younger, I just did things, some sports, mostly just being active. I'd walk up 14 flights of stairs to the office each morning and that sort of thing. I had no interest in going to the gym.

It was only the shock of being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at 50 and learning of the consequences that jolted me into action - out of pure fear.

⇒ Over the last 25 years, I have found that what works best for me is to (1) treat exercise as work, as suggested by Dr. Henry Lodge in his book "Younger Next Year", and (2) to focus on the process of doing something rather than the outcome.

What this means for you: Everyone is different, so I've listed other ideas below that will help you if you struggle to get going or stick with your exercise; combine them for even more fun!

Find something fun and active to add to your life (go dancing, walk or bike to errands, pick up a volunteer gig that involves manual labour).
Rearrange your spaces at home or your fridge and pantry to break your habits, e.g. remove all visible snacks from your shelves.
Start small with exercise (stretch while watching TV, walk up and down stairs, do a five-minute Yoga With Adriene video, or a seven-minute workout).
Consider what you enjoyed doing when young and incorporate it into your exercise routine e.g. I was in a local cycling club.
Reframe* the benefits of exercise for yourself (see below).
Set a goal of five minutes a day to start - just do it as a process.
Be kind to yourself and remember that something is better than nothing.
Exercise whenever it’s most amenable to your schedule and circadian rhythms - are you a morning, lunchtime, afternoon or night person?
Look for adult leagues in a sport you like if you need motivation through fun activities.
Consider adding extra physical movement through part-time jobs that involve manual labour, e.g. going the long way around the building.

⇒ *Reframing means instead of thinking about exercise as a means to achieve a certain body type or lose weight, you can reframe it as a way to improve your mental health, boost your energy levels, reduce stress, enhance your mood, or take some time for yourself away from other responsibilities.

Good luck. Remember consistency is king no matter how small the activity.

@Medium - Follow me on Medium ↗, covering ⭑food, ⭑brain, ⭑body, ⭑life

03 Will Getting Out In The Sun Help Me Sleep Better?

I'd like to believe that getting out in the sun would help us sleep better, even if it is because of the psychological benefit, without knowing if there is a direct physiological benefit.

Many studies suggest that sunlight exposure can help to regulate our circadian rhythms and make it easier to fall asleep at night. However, as far as I can find, these studies were observational, which means that they cannot prove that sunlight caused an improvement in sleep quality.

I'm a believer that getting out into the sunshine early in the day keeps our body in sync and helps it plan for the next 24 hours. There is evidence for this, as our circadian rhythm is highly sensitive to (blue) light in the first hour after waking.

⇒ It is known that exposure to sunlight in the morning and early afternoon can help regulate the production of melatonin, the essential hormone that influences sleep. For example, one study reported that exposure to sunlight in the early afternoon improved post-lunch sleepiness and boosted memory.

What this means for you: Although causative evidence that getting out in the sun helps us sleep better is lacking, a lot is now known about blue light's influence.

⇒ Fascinatingly, scientists believe the colour blue is important because the cells in our retina that detect light evolved first among sea creatures - because blue wavelengths can easily pass through water.

Here's what you can control to improve your sleep quality:

Get morning sunlight;
Walk outdoors in the afternoon instead of consuming caffeine;
Adjust home lighting by using amber LED bulbs with warmer spectrum for evening hours;
Dim lights three hours before bedtime;
Avoid screen time before sleeping or use night shift/blue light filter settings on devices, and
Ensure a dark sleeping environment with minimal light pollution.

Your night lighting should be dimmed and free of blue hues. On July 31, the United States will cease production of incandescent bulbs, which are famous for their warm sunset-like glow. So, unless you stockpile them, replace your fluorescent lights with amber LED bulbs or, even better, smart bulbs. These can be programmed to emit bluer light during the day and redder light in the evening (preferably at 2,700 Kelvin or below).

Remember, artificial blue light exposure at night disrupts our circadian rhythm and can lead to delayed bedtimes, shorter sleep duration, and increased daytime sleepiness. It is also linked to various health issues such as breast and colorectal cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and depression.

04 A Situp Which Will Strengthen Your Abs And Reduce Back Pain

Our exercise of the week is...three everyday movements that will strengthen your shoulders and help avoid injuries.

In the spirit of "starting small", as I suggest in item #2 above, this week's exercises are three that you can do every day, in your lounge room, in less than 3 minutes. They will strengthen your shoulders and improve your range of motion, which can help to prevent injuries such as rotator cuff tears and shoulder impingement.

⇒ The exercises activate the muscles responsible for lifting your arms overhead, rotating your shoulders, and stabilising your shoulder joints.

What this means for you: Get into a rhythm of doing these every day, perhaps by timing them with a specific activity, e.g. before you hop in the shower, first thing after getting out of bed, or when you turn on the daily news etc.

Get set by grabbing a 1kg (2 lb) bag of rice in each hand, pulling your upper arms into the side of your chest, squeezing very gently with your elbows to hold your arms at your side, and holding your forearms directly out in front of you parallel with the floor. Here are the three movements:

While holding your elbows gently into your sides, rotate your arms outwards as far back as they will go, and then back to the starting point. Keep your elbows touching your sides. Do 20 reps.
Continue to hold your elbows at your sides, and with your forearms parallel to the floor, rotate your wrists inward and then outward. Do 20 twists, which means 10 inward and 10 outward movements.
Now, straighten your arms downwards and hold your hands on the outside of your thighs. With straight arms, rotate your arms up to shoulder height, hold 1 second, and then lower them back to the starting position. Do 20 reps.

Doing simple exercises like these daily makes a big difference to how you feel about your physical condition and ability to remain active.

I use homemade equipment to do similar exercises, but you don’t need the equipment. Just go with whatever you have, and be consistent.

Thanks for reading!

P.S. If you are not yet subscribed to my free exercise app, try now ↓↓↓ Free forever. Opt-out any time. Opt-in by CLICKING HERE PLEASE SEND ME THE EXERCISES. NOTE: YOU ONLY NEED TO SUBSCRIBE ONE TIME.

>> My Latest Blog Post: Energise Your Golden Years: Boosting Your Desire to Exercise with Gut-Healthy Foods

About the newsletter: Do you think it can be improved? Have a story idea? Want to share about the time you met Chris Hemsworth, or your questions about how to live longer better? Send those thoughts and more to me at walter@bodyagebuster.com

Walter Adamson @bodyagebuster Helping your live longer better

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