WORLD OF MEDICINE

BUILD MUSCLES FOR BETTER SLEEP

- BY Beth Weinhouse

If you’re having trouble sleeping at night, doing some resistance training or muscle strengthening exercises during the day may help. As many as 20% of people over 60 suffer from insomnia, and about twice that number report feeling sleepy during the day. A systematic review published in the journal Family Medicine and Community Health considered data from 25 studies involving more than 2,000 people. The analysis found that while all exercise can help with sleep, exercise that builds muscles— whether using weights or using the body’s own weight as resistance (such as doing pushups or planks)—is most effective.

Lung Cancer Not Just for Smokers