One of the biggest mistakes people make when starting a fitness program is overlooking the amount of sleep they are getting. One of the easiest ways to burn fat and build muscle is simply to get more sleep roughtly 7-8 hours minimum.
There’s not a diet pill on the shelves that could do what adequate sleep does in your fight against the fat.
Most people assume our bodies burn more calories when we are awake longer, but that’s not true. The metabolic rate is down-regulated with less sleep. Translation: When you sleep less, your body starts to burn calories at a slower rate to preserve energy. With less sleep, the body seeks to meet the increased metabolic needs of longer waking hours by shifting into a lower gear, so to speak, that burns fewer calories and less fat.
When you lift weights, what you’re doing is actually tearing the muscle tissue in a healthy way. When you eat after training you body uses certain nutrients to repair muscle tissue. What you need to remember though, is that the protein and your body won’t start repairing your muscle tissue until you are at rest for a extended period of time, such as sleep. What this means is that if you get insufficient sleep, your body isn’t getting enough time to repair and recover your muscles 100%.
Since sleep is the primary time the body recovers from exercise, it’s also when you will be rebuilding your torn muscle tissues. Without this recovery time, you’re going to go into your next exercise session at a disadvantage.
So whether your aim is fat loss, muscle building or general well being,make sure you’re getting your 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Not only are you going to feel better, think clearer, and be much stronger when it comes to battling those food cravings that are so common with fat loss diets, but you’ll also really be helping promote better long-term health as well.