You already know that tomorrow will be a difficult day: you have an important meeting to conduct, a file to complete before the weekend and the birthday preparations for the youngest to complete. Logic would dictate that you take care of yourself today, that you spend your evening quietly slumped on the sofa with a meal tray in front of a romantic comedy with Julia Roberts … In reality, it’s the opposite of what to do according to the results of a study carried out by the University of Konstanz (Germany). According to this study, the best way to calmly approach a stressful day is to practice sports activity the night before and continue with a good night’s sleep.
Research results published in the journal “Applied Psychology: Health an Well-Being” (Applied psychology: health and well-being, in French) show that physical exercise has a positive influence on morale and optimizes our way of thinking. And combining exercise with a good night’s sleep is the best way to boost your energy the next day.
To reach these conclusions, the scientists studied the hygiene of life of 144 workers among which many mothers working in the private sector. All were between 22 and 64 years old, worked around 38 hours a week and played sports at least once a week.
The German study recommends practicing a sporting activity at the end of the day, to relieve the tension of the office and to be calm the next day. However, physical activity has a stimulating effect and prevents us from sleeping well if we go to bed less than two hours after the end of the session. This is why it is necessary to privilege the calm activities such as the Yoga, tai chi, Pilatus, stretching or endurance activities such as running or bike because they do not irritate too much. And before going to bed, take advantage of some quiet time to take a good shower and share a light dinner with the family.
