Recent studies have uncovered a new method to combat insomnia in elderly individuals—through weightlifting exercises.
Sleep specialists suggest that strength-building exercises like using dumbbells and barbells can significantly improve your capacity to doze off.
Various conventional workout methods for senior citizens, including aerobic activities like fast-paced walking or Pilates, have been shown to provide benefits; however, these effects tend to be less pronounced compared to those from strength training.
The research, initially featured in the Family Medicine and Community Health Journal, highlighted that insomnia becomes more common in older individuals due to ‘deterioration of sleep quality with advancing age.’
Data from the research indicated that nearly half of older adults report feeling sleepy (approximately 48 percent), and up to one in five suffer from insomnia.
Fatigue is not the sole drawback, as the research also indicates connections between poor-quality sleep and various issues such as
depression
and anxiety.
Cognitive deterioration, cardiovascular disease and
cancer
There are additional concerns that cause an increase in risk factors among those who suffer from insomnia.
The researchers noted that earlier studies had already determined that exercise can help with insomnia, though it remains unclear which specific types may be most effective.
The research encompassed evaluating 24 clinical studies involving more than 2,045 participants who were 60 years old or older.
The exercises examined in the studies encompassed various forms: aerobic activities like cycling, dancing, swimming, fast-paced walking, and trekking; strength-building exercises including weightlifting, arm curls, wall push-ups, and workouts with resistance machinery or gear; balance-focused routines such as side stepping, toe-heel walking, and single-legged stands; stretching and flexion-based practices like gymnastics, yoga, dance, and Pilates; along with combined regimens that integrated multiple categories.
In every study reviewed, over fifty percent incorporated exercises ranging from light to moderately intense, or strictly moderate in nature. Typically, each session extended for approximately 50 minutes, occurring about two to three times per week. Generally speaking, these exercise programs ran for an average duration of 14 weeks.
The findings indicated that when measured with a typical scale for sleep and sleep quality, strength or resistance exercises were significantly more effective at reducing insomnia compared to other methods.
The assessment tool employed was the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a straightforward questionnaire designed to evaluate sleep patterns.
Through this method, detailed analysis revealed that strength/resistance exercises led to an improvement of 5.75 points in the GPSQI.
Aerobic workouts led to an improvement of 3.76 points in the GPQSI, whereas combined exercises resulted in an increase of 2.54 points.
The researchers at the Mahidol University Faculty of Medicine in Bangkok determined that “exercises focused on strengthening muscles, as opposed to aerobic or combined workouts, are more effective for improving sleep quality.”
Huw Edwards, who leads ukactive—the United Kingdom’s trade organization for the physical activity industry—stated: “Physical exercise holds significant importance for both our bodily and psychological well-being, offering advantages like enhanced sleep quality, decreased levels of stress and anxiety, along with greater work efficiency, stronger social bonds, and an overall improvement in one’s state of mind.”
This research highlights the crucial part that resistance training plays in addressing insomnia among elderly individuals. We understand that engaging in physical activity benefits both the quality of sleep and our overall well-being, enhancing productivity the next day when we get a restful night’s sleep.
Our findings indicate that improving sleep quality (66%) is a primary reason many individuals engage in physical activity. Therefore, it’s crucial that everybody, regardless of their age, background, or capability, feels encouraged to incorporate physical exercise into their everyday routines.
We aim to transform the UK into the most physically active country in Europe, potentially reducing annual healthcare costs related to lack of exercise by up to £1 billion and boosting GDP by an extra £3.6 billion due to improved productivity.
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