Trainer Cheryl Coppa with the three items to watch for that will keep you younger for longer
By Cheryl Coppa
The longevity Trifecta is Cardiovascular Health, Muscle Mass and Sleep! Nothing will keep you younger for longer than building your muscle mass, improving your cardiovascular health, and sleeping like your life depended on it.
Sleep is when our bodies do their house cleaning and maintenance. When you sleep, your muscles recover from the work you have put in. It is essential! If you were to list all the benefits of sleep and compare them to any other supplement, program, or gimmick, sleep would win every time!
The Benefits of Getting Enough Sleep:
Hormonal Balance
Cognitive Function
Metabolic Rate
Mood and Stress Management
Weight Management
Heart Health
Immune System Support
Skin Health
Bone health
Emotional Well-being
Muscle Recovery
Stress Management
Appetite regulation
Longevity
Blood Sugar Control
Energy Levels
Reduce the Risk of Injury
Overall HEALTH
Take An Exercise Rest Day
Since I am coming from a fitness perspective of “rest & recovery”, maybe you are thinking or wondering about a “rest day”. This is a term you might hear in fitness. Movement is great, and the way we train here at Ola Ka Ola, if you do a workout every day that is A ok. We only do 30-minute sessions or less so this movement is not going to slow your recovery.
There are also so many different types of movement, so you can choose according to how your body is feeling and the signals your body is giving you. For example, a stretch class, a recovery/reset class, a face yoga class, and a light cardio class. These are not intense but they are still movement and movement always does a body good. We do have many members who take a class 7 days a week and are THRIVING! Remember, it’s only 30 minutes. I personally don’t teach classes on the weekend, so I could call these my “rest days”. Really, all a rest day means is - not a structured workout. You could do nothing, you could go for a walk, you could swim, play tennis, hike, whatever it may be. A rest day is just a break in your regularly scheduled workouts. What really matters and makes the most difference is sleep!
“You need muscle to burn fat and when you sleep you promote muscle growth.”, Trainer Cheryl Coppa
Sleep More to Grow Muscles and Lose Fat
Sleep, if you can help it, should be non-negotiable! If fat loss and muscle growth are goals, your body absolutely needs sleep. Without sleep, you will just be in a constant state of breaking down your muscles, which is part of the process (working out) but it also needs to be fed (healthy protein) and recovered (sleep). When you sleep, this is when muscle growth (tone, shape) takes place. Without proper sleep your muscles will not take shape and the fat will stick around. Why? Because you need muscle to burn fat. Having your muscles strong and recovered is important for overall metabolism and fat burning.
Also, HORMONAL BALANCE; sleep plays a key role in regulating hormones that influence metabolism and appetite. Not getting enough sleep will lead to imbalances that can cause a lack of appetite or just the opposite - stimulate your appetite resulting in increased cravings for those high calorie sugary foods that make it harder to lose weight. When your body is well rested you are more efficient at burning calories. Sleep is also important for stress management. We already know that stress increases Cortisol, which increases belly fat, sleep it off! Sleep helps regulate cortisol levels.
Most of us don’t get nearly enough sleep. We should be getting 7-9 hours of sleep.
Look at these reasons to make sleep a priority.
What Happens When You Don't Get Enough Sleep?
Impaired Cognitive Function
Mood Imbalances
Increased Risk of Accidents and Injuries
Weakened Immune System
Weight Gain
Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Illnesses
Impaired Metabolism
Decreased Physical Performance
Skin Problems
Hormonal Imbalances
Digestive Problems
Reduced Productivity
Depression and Anxiety
Hallucinations
Impaired Judgement
Hormonal Imbalances
Cognitive Decline
Increased Pain Sensitivity
If you are on a quest for health and fitness, and you do the workouts and you eat the good food, but you are not getting enough sleep — It’s like trying to drive a car on a long journey with only a quarter tank of gas. You might make some progress, but you will be running on fumes, and the journey will be much more challenging and less enjoyable.
Let’s keep it simple :
Cardiovascular Health - Muscle Mass - Sleep
When you train with Ola Ka Ola, you can get a little extra sleep in because there is no travel to the gym and no prep. Ola Ka Ola will take care of your Cardiovascular Health and Muscle Mass and will keep your workouts short and effective, giving you exactly what you need. No planning or worrying about what to do for you, so you can get them extra zzzz’s.
About Cheryl Coppa
✔️ A certified Core Confidence Specialist (Core and Pelvic Floor retraining)
✔️ A certified Personal Trainer specializing in women's fitness over 40
✔️ Low-Pressure Fitness / Hypopressive certified by creator Dr. Tamara Rial
✔️ Pre/postnatal corrective exercise specialist
✔️Instructor of the Pelvic Floor Health program, Ola Ka Ola
✔️ 40 years young, wife & mother of 3
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