Fitness

How exercise resets your body clock and improves sleep patterns

Published

1 year ago

February 5, 2025

How exercise resets your body clock and improves sleep patterns

Exercise improves sleep quality and helps treat sleep disorders by regulating circadian rhythms, reducing stress, and enhancing physiological functions like melatonin production and autonomic balance.

Review: The impact of exercise on sleep and sleep disorders. Image Credit: Lysenko Andrii / Shutterstock

In a recent review article published in the journal npj Biological Timing and Sleep, researchers summarized the research on how exercise, or structured physical activity, improves sleep quality, both for those with sleep disorders and healthy individuals. They highlighted that the effects of exercise on sleep are influenced by factors such as an individual’s age, sex, fitness level, and the type, timing, and intensity of exercise.

Types of Exercise

Exercise is any form of repetitive, planned, and structured physical activity. Aerobic exercise involves activities that use the body’s large muscle groups, increasing the heart rate and the amount of oxygen a person uses. Swimming, cycling, and walking are forms of aerobic exercise.

While aerobic exercise improves cardiovascular health, anaerobic exercise, which includes sprinting and weight training, builds muscle strength and mass. Meanwhile, stretching exercises focus on improving an individual’s range of motion, but the evidence is mixed regarding whether or not they can prevent injuries.

Dynamic exercise involves moving joints and appears to have health benefits in the long term, including improved blood flow and lower blood pressure. However, static exercise occurs when muscles are activated without movement and can increase blood pressure significantly but build strength over time. The journal article also noted that these different forms of exercise may have distinct effects on sleep, with aerobic exercise generally providing the most benefits for sleep quality.

Advantages of Exercise

Exercise is critical to regulating weight, as it prevents excessive gain and can support weight loss by burning calories and balancing calorie expenditure and intake. It decreases the risk of diabetes, hypertension, and depression. Regular exercise also improves cardiovascular health, improves heart recovery, and decreases the resting heart rate.

Beyond physical benefits, exercise also improves mood and energy. It increases energy levels by improving the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the tissues. Meanwhile, exercise improves mood, reduces stress, and enhances relaxation, particularly if it takes the form of activities that a person enjoys. Research has shown that exercise can reduce levels of cortisol, a stress hormone linked to sleep disturbances, while increasing melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep cycles.

Not getting adequate amounts of exercise has been linked to chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease, which have become leading causes of global mortality.

How Exercise Improves Sleep

In healthy individuals, exercise improves sleep efficiency, which is defined as the ratio of time a person spends sleeping to the total time they spend in bed.

Specifically, exercise between four and eight hours before going to bed can reduce wakefulness during sleep and help people fall asleep faster. However, the review emphasized that exercising less than four hours before bedtime may delay melatonin release and increase body temperature, potentially making it harder to fall asleep. Regular exercise also improves overall sleep quality and helps people sleep longer.

Over time, exercise improves sleep hygiene, namely the habits that help people sleep well. This leads to stable sleep-wake cycles and improves the regulation of the body’s circadian rhythms. Because exercise acts as a “zeitgeber” (a factor that influences the body’s biological clock), it can help reset disrupted circadian rhythms, particularly in individuals who experience sleep disturbances due to shift work or jet lag.

Exercise can also indirectly improve sleep by reducing stress and enhancing mood. Regular and consistent exercise reduces stress, depression, and anxiety. By reducing the heart rate, exercise calms the body, facilitating sleep. It also regulates hormones like cortisol and melatonin, which are linked to sleep patterns.

Treating Sleep-Related Disorders

Researchers have studied the benefits of exercise for alleviating sleep disorders. Exercise has psychological benefits, reducing the emotional stress and anxiety associated with disordered sleep. It can also reduce sleep-disordered breathing and improve autonomic and hormonal imbalances that worsen sleep quality.

Regarding specific sleep disorders, people experiencing insomnia can benefit from moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, which improves the onset of sleep, reduces the time spent awake, and enhances the overall sleep quality. The review also noted that exercise may be more effective when combined with sleep hygiene interventions, such as maintaining a consistent bedtime and avoiding stimulants before sleep.

Another condition that can hamper sleep quality is restless leg syndrome (RLS), a neurological condition that causes an uncontrollable urge to move the legs. Aerobic exercise can also reduce symptoms of RLS, including throbbing, aching, and itching in the legs. The study highlighted that the benefits of exercise for RLS may be due to improved blood circulation and neuromuscular function.

For people with sleep apnea, which causes breathing to stop and start repeatedly during sleep, researchers recommend combining weight loss with exercise to reduce the severity of the condition and improve functioning and wakefulness during the day. Importantly, the review found that even in the absence of significant weight loss, regular exercise can improve sleep apnea symptoms by enhancing autonomic nervous system regulation and reducing inflammation.

Conclusions

While existing studies on the relationship between exercise and sleep are promising, researchers identified ways to apply these findings and avenues for future investigations.

Long-term studies are needed to understand how different durations, intensities, and types of exercise impact sleep patterns. Diverse populations should be included to identify tailored and effective interventions for different demographic groups. The review also called for more research into the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of exercise on sleep, such as its impact on brain function and immune responses.

There is still much that is not known about the physiological mechanisms that underpin exercise’s impacts on sleep quality and circadian rhythms, particularly among those with chronic sleep disorders. The systemic and molecular effects of exercise on sleep also need more exploration.

Current research can be applied to interventions to improve the health of athletes and the general public. For athletes, optimizing sleep is crucial for recovery and performance, and the review suggested integrating personalized sleep-monitoring protocols into training programs.

Physical activity should be promoted as a non-pharmacological intervention for the general public, but clear guidelines regarding intensity, frequency, and timing should be provided for different age groups. The researchers stressed the importance of personalized exercise prescriptions that account for an individual’s age, fitness level, and existing sleep disturbances to maximize benefits.

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Fitness

5 more minutes of exercise can help you live longer | CNN

Published

11 hours ago

February 14, 2026

Press Room

5 more minutes of exercise can help you live longer | CNN

Daily step counts and reaching at least 150 minutes a week of exercise — lots of exercise guidance focuses on hitting specific step, mile or time targets. But for many people, especially those who are least active, these goals can feel daunting and out of reach.

Can you commit to walk for five minutes daily? Instead of asking what happens when people meet ideal exercise benchmarks, researchers examined what might change if people made small, realistic shifts in how they move and how much time they spend sitting.

The findings, published recently in The Lancet journal, suggest that even modest changes could have meaningful implications for your health and longevity.

I spoke with CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen about what the study found and how it influences what we think about movement in daily life. Wen is an emergency physician and clinical associate professor at George Washington University. She previously was Baltimore’s health commissioner.

CNN: What’s unusual about this new study of exercise?

Dr. Leana Wen: This study set out to answer a deceptively simple question: What might happen if people moved just a little more each day or sat a little less? Rather than focusing on whether people met established exercise targets, the researchers examined the potential population-wide impact of very small increases in physical activity and small reductions in sedentary time.

To investigate this question, they conducted an individual participant data meta-analysis, which means they combined and reanalyzed data from multiple other studies. The analysis included data from seven groups in the United States, Norway and Sweden, comprising more than 40,000 participants, along with a separate analysis of nearly 95,000 participants from the United Kingdom.

The researchers focused on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, which includes activities that raise the heart rate and make people breathe harder, as well as total sedentary time. They then estimated how many deaths might be prevented if people increased their activity by just five or 10 minutes a day or reduced their sitting time by 30 or 60 minutes a day.

CNN: What did they learn about the potential impact of small changes?

Wen: The key finding was that even very small changes in daily movement could be associated with meaningful reductions in deaths when applied across large populations.

The researchers modeled two different scenarios. One focused on people who were least active — roughly the bottom 20% of participants — and asked what might happen if this high-risk group slightly increased their activity. The second took a broader, population-based approach, looking at what might happen if nearly everyone except the most active 20% of individuals made small changes.

In the high-risk scenario, a five-minute-per-day increase in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among the least active participants was estimated to prevent about 6% of all deaths. When that same five-minute increase was applied across the broader population — excluding only the most active individuals — the potential reduction rose to about 10% of all deaths. These estimates suggest that modest increases in movement, when adopted widely, could translate into substantial population-level benefits.

The researchers also examined reductions in sedentary time. Cutting daily sitting time by 30 minutes was associated with smaller but still meaningful reductions in deaths. Among the least active participants, a 30-minute reduction in sedentary time was estimated to prevent about 3% of deaths, while applying that same reduction across the broader population could prevent about 7% of deaths.

CNN: Do these results support what we already know about exercise, sitting and longevity?

Wen: These findings are consistent with decades of research showing that physical activity is strongly associated with longer life and lower risk of chronic disease, while prolonged sedentary time is linked to higher risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and premature death.

What this study adds is nuance. Traditional exercise research and guidelines often emphasize thresholds; for example, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity such as brisk walking, dancing or gardening. These thresholds are based on levels of activity associated with maximal or near-maximal health benefits. While those targets are evidence-based, they could unintentionally reinforce the idea that anything less does not matter.

This analysis reinforces the concept that the relationship between activity and health is not all or nothing. Benefits begin at very low levels of activity, particularly for people who are starting from a sedentary baseline. Even incremental increases below guideline thresholds can contribute to better health outcomes.

The study also aligns with growing recognition that sitting time itself is an independent health risk. Even people who exercise regularly can spend large portions of the day sitting, and reducing sedentary time appears to confer benefits beyond structured exercise alone.

CNN: Does this study change existing exercise guidelines?

Wen: It does not change existing exercise guidelines, and it does not suggest that recommended activity levels should be lowered. The current guidelines remain grounded in extensive evidence and are designed to optimize health outcomes across many dimensions, including cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength and metabolic health.

What this research does change is how people might think about those guidelines. Instead of viewing them as a rigid standard that must be met to see any benefit, people can think of them as an aspirational goal along a continuum. Movement exists on a spectrum, and every step along that spectrum matters.

This framing can be particularly helpful for people who feel discouraged or defeated by traditional exercise advice. Rather than feeling that anything short of a full workout is pointless, people can recognize that small increases in daily movement are worthwhile and meaningful.

CNN: Who may benefit most from focusing on small, incremental changes?

Wen: As seen across numerous studies, the largest potential gains appear to be among people who are least active to begin with. For individuals who spend most of the day sitting and engage in very little moderate or vigorous activity, adding even a few minutes of movement represents a substantial relative increase.

This group includes many older adults, people with chronic medical conditions, individuals with physically demanding caregiving roles, and those whose jobs involve prolonged sitting. It also encompasses people who may feel intimidated by exercise culture or who have limited access to safe spaces for physical activity.

From a public health perspective, helping these groups move just a little more could have an outsize impact. Small, realistic changes are more likely to be adopted and sustained, and when spread across large populations, they can translate into meaningful reductions in disease and premature death.

CNN: For someone who feels overwhelmed by exercise advice, what is a realistic first step they could take today?

Wen: A helpful first step may be to shift the mindset from “exercise” to “movement.” Physical activity does not have to mean a gym membership or an intense, structured workout. It can be as simple as taking a brisk walk, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and standing up and doing chores like vacuuming during the day.

The goal is not perfection or intensity but consistency. Adding a few minutes of movement to the day, or finding opportunities to sit less, can be a manageable place to start. Over time, those small changes can build confidence and momentum.

The central message of this new study is actually reassuring: Progress does not have to be dramatic to matter a lot. Small, realistic changes, repeated day after day, can add up in ways that benefit both you and your community as a whole.

Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN’s Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.

Fitness

Plymouth Twp. official criticized for saying female employees need to exercise

Published

23 hours ago

February 14, 2026

Press Room

Plymouth Twp. official criticized for saying female employees need to exercise

PLYMOUTH TWP. — A township trustee is drawing criticism and demands for an apology after he implied that women who work in the township hall need to exercise.

At a public meeting of the Plymouth Township Board of Trustees on Feb. 10, Trustee John Stewart said he supported a $29,200 purchase for exercise equipment for the township exercise room and wanted to encourage better mental and physical health among staff.

“Psychologists say you do things that make you feel good, so let’s create a new atmosphere,” said Stewart, 75. “I don’t know why the women employees on the first floor of township hall aren’t asked to pack a brown bag lunch and transport it down to the Lake Pointe Soccer Park and you walk them around that beautiful park.”

Stewart also suggested a lunchtime yoga class for female employees.

“You would make my month if you would call me and say, ‘You know what? (A township employee) has begun to organize yoga for women, and they’re meeting at 12:00 to 12:30 in the new workout room,’ ” Stewart said. “That would be a significant improvement and something that the supervisor can take credit for and the board of trustees can all take credit for.

“I was very surprised when the supervisor called me two weeks ago and said, ‘We’re going to buy $20,000 worth of equipment,’ ” Stewart said. “I said, ‘Eureka, it’s about time.’ ”

Calls for apologies

Township Treasurer Bob Doroshewitz was not at the meeting but said he watched online and arrived at work the following day to find female employees discussing Stewart’s comments.

Some, he noted, were “livid.”

“The implication was that they need exercise,” Doroshewitz said. “It was horrible, particularly if you have somebody who is maybe self-conscious about their weight. You’re basically saying the women in township hall are too fat.”

Doroshewitz estimated about 18 to 20 women and eight men work on the first floor of township hall between the various departments.

“You don’t tell somebody they need to go on an exercise program, particularly ‘you women,’ ” he said. “It’s just not cool.”

Doroshewitz said he sent an email to Stewart, which he later shared with Hometown Life.

“I am requesting that you issue a formal apology to the Township’s female employees, particularly those working on the first floor, for the comments you made last night,” the email said, in part, also noting the remarks were “offensive, unprofessional, and unacceptable in the workplace.”

Doroshewitz said Stewart came into the township office shortly after receiving the email, confronted him about it and said he would not apologize. Doroshewitz also said he has concerns about Stewart’s behavior, citing recent outbursts, saying “it’s getting worse.”

Supervisor Chuck Curmi declined to comment on Stewart’s remarks at the meeting, except to say the issue was Stewart’s to address. He added he had “nothing to say” about whether a complaint was filed with his office about Stewart’s remarks.

“My judgment is that a simple apology would work, but that’s for his judgment,” Curmi said. “I can’t make him do that. He’s got to handle that himself.”

Stewart stands by statements

Stewart said his comments were meant only to promote employee wellness and ensure the township’s updated workout space would be open to women as well as men.

“If we’re going to spend money on a weight room, it should be available to women to exercise if they wish,” he said in a Feb. 12 interview, pointing to his own family of “strong women.”

Stewart called himself a “health fanatic” and said his suggestion that female staffers take a lunchtime walk or consider yoga was motivated by concerns for the health and well-being of township employees.

When asked about his comment suggesting the township’s female employees pack lunches and take a walk at the park, Stewart replied, “I live by that statement. Mental health, a break. Get out of that office because there’s toxic communications going on in that office.”

“We want to encourage good health,” he added. “Sometimes I come on way too strong. But I am all about health and fitness. This was a purely motivated thing.”

Trustee Sandy Groth said she did not view Stewart’s remarks as sexist and interpreted them as an effort to ensure female employees were included in workplace wellness opportunities.

“I did not take offense to anything he said, and I’m a woman,” Groth said. “I really took it that he was trying to make sure that they also had opportunities.”

While acknowledging that others interpreted the comments differently, Groth said her reaction was “very different.”

“I think you interpret things how you want to interpret them,” she said, noting she would have preferred a conversation seeking clarification rather than calls for an apology.”

Exercise room will open to all employees

Stewart was reelected to a second consecutive term in 2024, but also sat on the board from 1988-92. He also served three terms as state representative for the 20th District from 2000 to 2006.

Before Stewart’s comments, the board heard a presentation from Plymouth Township Police Sgt. Mike Hinkle, who said that while proposed upgrades to the dated fitness room would be led by the police department, the new equipment would be suitable for all fitness levels and available to all employees, not just police.

“This is a police department project that we hope benefits every employee in the (township),” Hinkle said. “Every employee is going to be able to go up there and utilize this facility.”

Hinkle noted the room is open 24/7 and has historically been open to all township staff.

Contact reporter Laura Colvin: lcolvin@hometownlife.com.

Fitness

How To Choose The Best Exercise Bike For You (And A Few Of Our Favourite Models For 2026)

Published

1 day ago

February 13, 2026

Press Room

How To Choose The Best Exercise Bike For You (And A Few Of Our Favourite Models For 2026)

Whether you’re looking to stay active through the winter, add low‑impact cardio to your routine, or finally stop paying for a gym membership, an exercise bike can be a great investment. They’re quieter than treadmills, easier on the joints than running, and perfect for squeezing in a workout while watching TV — but only if you pick the right model.

With so many types, features, and price points, choosing the best exercise bike can feel overwhelming. Here’s a straightforward, no‑nonsense guide to help you find the one that fits your body, your goals, and your space.

Questions to Ask Before You Buy

A person riding on an exercise bike. (Amazon)

What’s My Fitness Goal?

Are you aiming to burn calories, build leg strength, do gentle daily movement, or train like you’re prepping for a race? Your goal affects the type of bike that will work best. A basic upright bike can help with general cardio, while a spin or indoor‑cycle‑style bike is better for intense workouts.

How Much Space Do I Have?

Measure the area you plan to use — whether it’s a spare bedroom, living room corner, or basement gym. Exercise bikes can be compact or bulky, and you want one that fits comfortably without blocking walkways.

How Often Will I Use It?

If you plan on daily workouts or long sessions, look for comfort, durability, and adjustability. If you’re an occasional rider, a simpler, budget‑friendly model might be enough.

Types of Exercise Bikes

Upright Bikes

These look most like traditional bicycles: you sit upright and pedal. They’re simple, usually affordable, and perfect for everyday cardio.

Best for: Casual riders, small spaces, basic cardio.

Recumbent Bikes

With a reclined seat and back support, recumbent bikes are ideal if you want less strain on your lower back and more comfort overall.

Best for: People with back issues, seniors, and long‑session workouts.

Indoor Cycling / Spin Bikes

Built for performance, these have heavier flywheels and allow more intense workouts — including standing climbs and sprints.

Best for: Serious cyclists, interval training, high‑intensity cardio.

Fan / Air Bikes

These use a large fan that creates resistance based on how hard you pedal — the harder you go, the harder it gets. Great for full‑body workouts if the bike has moving handles.

Best for: HIIT workouts, cross‑training, and athletes.

Features That Matter

A person riding a Horizon Fitness bike. — Horizon Fitness (Horizon Fitness)

Resistance Type

Magnetic resistance: Quiet, smooth, and adjustable — great for most home users.
Felt brake/friction: Older style, sometimes noisier, but can still work well on budget models.
Air/fan: Naturally variable, works harder the faster you pedal.

For daily use, magnetic resistance usually gives the most consistent and quiet experience.

Adjustability

Look for bikes with adjustable seats and handlebars. People come in all shapes and sizes — without adjustments, even a pricey bike can feel uncomfortable.

Comfort and Ergonomics

Seat comfort: Some seats are basic — consider upgrading to a padded one if you plan longer rides.
Pedals and straps: Good grip and foot support help during more intense rides.
Step‑through frame: Makes mounting easier — helpful if mobility’s a concern.

Console and Tracking

LCD or digital display: Shows speed, distance, time, and calories.
Heart rate sensors or Bluetooth connectivity: Handy if you track workouts on a phone, watch, or fitness app.

Stability and Build Quality

Heavier frames with solid bases are more stable — especially during spirited sessions. If you’re doing standing climbs or interval sprints, stability matters.

Noise Level

If you live in an apartment or share walls, quieter magnetic bikes are better than noisy fan bikes.

Extra Considerations

Budget

Exercise bikes range from under $300 for basic models to $1,500+ for premium indoor cycling bikes. Set a range and decide what features you actually need versus what’s “nice to have.”

Assembly and Delivery

Some bikes are simple to assemble at home. Others may require tools or professional assembly — especially heavier spin bikes.

Warranty and Support

Look for solid warranties on the frame and parts. Canadian availability of replacement parts and support is a bonus — especially if something breaks mid‑winter.

Our Top Picks for Exercise Bikes

Why Trust Shopping Trends?

At Shopping Trends, every product we review goes through rigorous hands-on testing to ensure we’re recommending only the best for Canadian households. With over a decade of experience in product evaluation and consumer reporting, I personally oversee each test and comparison.

Our process is transparent, methodical, and grounded in real-world usage. Whether it’s a cordless vacuum, a 4K TV, or a hammock for your next camping trip, we evaluate items the way you’d use them at home. When needed, we also consult Canadian industry experts to offer context and help readers make confident, informed decisions. Every “top pick” featured in our guides has earned its spot through careful analysis, not sponsorship.