Unlocking Better Sleep With Simple Evening Activities

A new study suggests that engaging in light exercises like chair squats and calf raises during the evening can help extend sleep by up to 30 minutes, offering a healthful alternative to prolonged sitting and potentially mitigating risks like diabetes and heart disease.

Rigorous exercise before bed has long been discouraged, but University of Otago researchers have found short bursts of light activity can lead to better sleep.

In a world first study, published in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine and funded by the Health Research Council, participants completed two four-hour evening intervention sessions of prolonged sitting, and sitting interrupted with three-minute activity breaks every half hour.