Restful sleep could be a few squats away.

Participating in evening exercise could help promote better rest at night, according to new research published in the journal BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine.

In particular, short bouts of resistance or strength training at night — including exercises like squats, calf raises and standing knee raises — were found to have a positive impact on sleep quality and quantity.

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In the randomized trial, 28 participants each completed one of two four-hour sessions. 

One consisted of prolonged sitting. In the other session, the participants sat but took breaks every half-hour to complete three minutes of bodyweight resistance exercises.

The regular activity breaks were shown to increase average sleep period time and time spent asleep by nearly 30 minutes.

The New Zealand-based researchers did not note a significant effect on mean sleep efficiency (the ratio of total sleep time to total time in bed), wake after sleep onset (the total amount of time that a person is awake after having initially fallen asleep) or the number of awakenings during the night.

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“Performing bodyweight resistance exercise activity breaks in the evening has the potential to improve sleep period and total sleep time, and does not disrupt other aspects of sleep quality or subsequent 24-hour physical activity,” the researchers concluded.

Health benefits of evening exercise

Sleep expert Dr. Wendy Troxel, a senior behavioral and social scientist at the Rand Corporation in Utah, called this study “really exciting” in an interview with Fox News Digital.

Troxel considered the findings “particularly notable,” as there has been “controversy” surrounding the optimal timing and intensity of exercise in relation to sleep.

Walking in the evening, particularly after dinner, has a plethora of benefits, according to experts. (iStock)

“These are very short bouts of relatively low-intensity physical activity that anyone could do in their evening hours,” she said. 

“And I think it really speaks to the potential harms of extended periods of sedentary activity.”

“Whether you’re old or young, we see benefits of exercise after dinner in particular.”

Being excessively sedentary comes with a “number of health consequences,” the expert warned, including a 30% increased mortality risk.

“So, this suggests that just little bouts of physical activity in the evening hours, to get you off the couch and moving … could have benefits for your sleep and your health more globally,” Troxel added.

Short breaks of light physical activity leading to better sleep speaks to the “harms of extended periods of sedentary activity,” said a sleep expert. (iStock)

Celebrity personal trainer Kollins Ezekh in Los Angeles confirmed that evening exercise can help promote better sleep by reducing stress and anxiety.

“Physical activity triggers the release of endorphins and serotonin, which naturally helps to calm the mind and body,” he told Fox News Digital.

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Exercising before bedtime can also lower the body’s core temperature, signaling that it’s time for rest, according to the fitness expert.

“Plus, the natural fatigue from a good workout makes it easier to fall asleep,” he added.

In addition to improving sleep, evening exercise can also reduce stress levels, boost metabolism and improve digestion, according to Ezekh.

A personal trainer recommends doing yoga or Pilates in the evening as a way to stretch and relax before bedtime. (iStock)

Troxel agreed that engaging in small exercise breaks can tire out the body without causing pain or overstimulation.

“It helps to prepare your body and your brain by reducing stress and expending some energy for a good night’s sleep,” she said.

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Small bouts of activity will also help the brain separate pre-bedtime activities from actual bedtime, she added.

“If you’re just sitting on the couch doing nothing for hours prior to bedtime, it’s hard for the brain to distinguish, ‘OK, bed is the time for real rest and restoration,’” she said.

Best exercises for nighttime

To avoid overstimulation, Ezekh recommended choosing low- to moderate-intensity exercises in the evening.

These might include yoga or Pilates that focus on mindful breathing, stretching and relaxation, “which can help you unwind before bed,” he said, as well as light cardio.

“Keeping the intensity moderate ensures that your body can relax into sleep rather than being wired,” said one expert.  (iStock)

“A brisk walk or easy cycling can help burn off energy without making you too energized before sleep,” the trainer added.

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Bodyweight exercises such as squats, lunges or push-ups are also a great option, Ezekh said.

“Physical activity triggers the release of endorphins and serotonin, which naturally helps to calm the mind and body.”

Dr. Tina Sadarangani, nurse practitioner and assistant professor at the NYU College of Nursing, told Fox News Digital that everyone should engage in low-impact exercise, like brisk walks, after the last meal of the day.

“Whether you’re old or young, we see benefits of exercise after dinner in particular,” she said. 

“We get steadier blood sugar, smoother digestion and a happier mood, and I can’t think of a single population that wouldn’t benefit from that.”

An expert suggests that everyone should engage in low-impact exercise before bed. (iStock)

In addition to movement before bed, Sadarangani recommends avoiding screen exposure before bedtime, along with stimulants like caffeine, alcohol, or tobacco and nicotine products.

It’s also important to create an environment that’s conducive to slumber, she added. 

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“We have to give our bodies the signal that it’s time to sleep.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the study researchers for comment.

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A Harvard medical student recently completed an “egg-citing” experiment.

Nick Norwitz, 25, decided to eat 720 eggs in one month to see what the effect would be on his cholesterol.

At the end of the month, the Boston man found that his cholesterol levels had dipped by 20%.

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Norwitz — a self-described “academician” with a PhD in metabolic health, who is currently finishing his medical degree at Harvard — said he has always had a passion for sharing his “joy and interest” in science.

“My colleagues and I come up with creative ways to try to translate our awe and love for physiology and biology into something that is interesting and accessible to the public,” he told Fox News Digital.

“The goal is to provoke conversation and bring people to the table so we can talk about human metabolism, which I find utterly fascinating.”

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During his egg-eating month, Norwitz consumed 24 eggs per day.

He ate them in “all the ways,” he said — scrambled, fried, omelets, deviled.

“Eggs are a pretty versatile food, so making them in different ways made for a pretty pleasant experiment — it wasn’t that difficult.”

Norwitz, who has a PhD in metabolic health and is currently finishing his medical degree at Harvard, said he has always had a passion for sharing his “joy and interest” in science. (Nick Norwitz)

For the first two weeks, it was against the backdrop of an otherwise very low-carbohydrate diet, he said, and then he added carbs for the second two weeks.

“The goal is to provoke conversation about human metabolism.”

“The purpose of this whole experiment was a metabolic demonstration to discuss the ‘levers’ that can affect cholesterol in different individuals.”

“I expected my cholesterol levels not to change by just adding the eggs — and that is indeed what happened.”

It was when he added the carbs that his cholesterol levels dropped, due to a metabolic shift after having adapted to the low-carb diet — a phenomenon that he explains in more detail in the video at the top of the article.

During his egg-eating month, Norwitz consumed 24 eggs per day. He ate them in “all the ways,” he said — scrambled, fried, omelets, deviled. (iStock)

One key thing Norwitz has learned — from this experiment and others he’s done — is that there’s not one “best” human diet.

“When evaluating what is a good diet for a person, you need to consider their baseline metabolic health, and also what their goals are,” he told Fox News Digital. 

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Some people, for example, might be optimizing for longevity, while others might be focused on cardiovascular health or looking to keep inflammatory bowel disease in remission. 

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Norwitz said he has many more experiments planned to spark awareness and knowledge of how foods affect the body’s functions and overall health.

“I am passionate about making metabolic health mainstream,” he said. “This is only the tip of the iceberg.”