When it comes to keeping fit, we all know that what we do in the gym is important. But, what’s equally important is what we do outside the gym – what we eat, what we drink, and especially how we sleep. In fact, sleep is absolutely essential for exercise to be effective.

Located in the heart of New York City, Perfect Stride is one of the leading physical therapy clinics, renowned for their research driven and personalized services.

Here, Perfect Stride share 5 reasons why sleep is important for keeping fit.

1. Repair – sleep gives your body time to repair, recover, conserve energy and build up the muscles you worked on during exercise.

2. Growth – when we get a good night’s sleep, the body produces a growth hormone. As adults, this hormone is essential for athletic recovery and helps us to build lean muscle.

3. Preparation – getting good sleep will not only give you more drive and strength to maximize your workout, it’ll also improve concentration, mood and focus to get you more prepared for that workout.

4. Avoid imbalances – sleep loss has been linked to physiological responses such as autonomic nervous system imbalances. These increase the risk of injuries that could inhibit your performance at the gym.

5. Improve sleep – as much as sleep improves exercise, exercise also improves sleep. Working our creates a chemical called adenosine that helps us to rest and relax which, in turn, improves the way we exercise!