Light Physical Activity Enough for a Good Night's Sleep: Try Yoga, Biking, Gardening & More

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A research from the University of Pennsylvania found that most types of light exercise could contribute to a good night's sleep.

The research published in Penn Medicine found that activities such as yoga, gardening, biking and weightlifting contribute to having better sleep than inactivity. However, activities related to childcare and housework are associated with poor sleep habits.

"Those who got some activity, no matter what it was, were more likely to get the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep," Dr. Michael Grandner, lead author and professor at the university, told  Huffington Post.

Grandner added that he was surprised that even the lightest physical activity was enough to improve sleep. However, heavier activities such as yoga, running and gardening were more effective.

For those who are suffering from bad sleep habits or inadequate sleep, a Russian study has shown that it may trigger a heart attack or a stroke.

"Sleep disorders are very closely related to the presence of cardiovascular diseases. However, until now there has not been a population based cohort study examining the impact of sleep disorders on the development of a heart attack or stroke," said Valery Gafarov, M.D., Ph. D., professor of cardiology at Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, as per MedPage Today.

The study involved more than 650 men ages 25 to 64 who have no cardiovascular disease or diabetic condition. The results show that those with sleeping disorders had a 2 to 2.6 times higher heart attack risk and are 1.5 to 4 times likely to get a stroke compared to those who slept well at night.

The findings were presented at the EuroHeartCare conference in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

"Mortality from cardiovascular diseases accounts for nearly 50 per cent of the total mortality among the population," said Professor Valery Gafarov of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, according to Daily Mail.

Gafarov added, "Nearly 80 per cent of deaths from cardiovascular disease are due to myocardial infarction (heart attack) and stroke which means that today we are talking about an epidemic of cardiovascular disease."

She also noted that sleep disorders are linked to presence of cardiovascular diseases and that their study has found the impact of sleep disorders on the development of a stroke or heart attack.

Additionally, based on the study, men, who are more prone to heart attack or stroke, were those who were divorced or widowed, are heavy to manual laborers and those who were high school dropouts.