This summer is turning out to be one of the hottest on record and it can play havoc with your exercise routine – not to mention your sleep patterns. And I wanted to offer some thoughts regarding the important link between the two.

I think most of us recognise the need to plan our exercise to accommodate it within our daily or weekly lives. But I feel most of us have woken up from a dramatically-disrupted sleep in the early morning fully intending to stick to our strategy to go for a run or “get a sesh in” in the gym, only to find that it’s already 23 degrees in the shade and we have ‘no energy’!

The gym could still be an option because of the air-con, but it’s amazing how quickly enthusiasm wanes under the influence of blinding sunshine and Mediterranean temperatures. in close combination with a poor night’s sleep, it’s all too easy to just take another ‘rest day’.

So today I thought I should share some ideas on how to maintain a level of training in the face of all the temptations to “chill”, but also emphasise the need to “cut yourself some slack” and not overdo the effort in the heat.

After a Bad Night’s Sleep

Obviously, the type of exercise is key to the impact incurred by lack of sleep. If we’re talking Yoga, for example, or swimming, then the physical activity can be somewhat controlled to a level which is comfortably within achievable limits.

However, more intense training comprising activities such as long-distance running, sprinting, weightlifting, cycling etc might need to be modified for the conditions by reducing speeds and distances; lowering weights used or increasing rest periods, for example.

If you want to try to stick to your exercise schedule but you’ve struggled to sleep the night/s before because of a hot, airless bedroom, then it’s advisable to moderate your activity and go for lighter volume/intensity. It’s fair to point out that it’s not too critical after the odd sleepless night, but if it’s starting to become a common theme over the weeks, then it’s a good idea to modify to avoid burn-out. The aim would be to keep your heart rate as close to your aerobic threshold as possible and not exceed it. Say try to stay around 60 -70% of your maximum heart rate, and maybe 60-70% of your maximum lifts.

Effects of lack of sleep on the body

You may be aware that, if you’re losing sleep, you are at risk of reduced muscle glycogen and this can produce a similar reaction to an excessive intake of alcohol i.e. your reactions slow down. Also, it is widely-recognised that sleep is a key natural tool for recovery in that it promotes repair of muscles and tendons and ligaments, strengthens the immune function and improves mood and attitudes to the demands of training.

Lack of sleep launches a raft of complications: stress hormones like Cortisol start to increase and there is a surge in inflammation – always unwelcome. Another consequence is that a higher risk of overuse injuries develops as tissues become less resilient to repetitive loading.

Furthermore, research has shown that athletes who sleep fewer than six hours per night are far more susceptible to injury compared with those who achieve a full night’s quota of sleep. In fact, some studies have found that the risk of injury can rise by up to 36% for runners and endurance athletes who were experiencing lower quality sleep. They also revealed that the likelihood of injury increased from 52 percent in “steady sleepers” to 68 percent in “poor sleepers,” demonstrating a clear relationship between worsening sleep and injury risk.

It’s very common for people who like to maintain a consistent level of physical fitness to feel that they are really “slipping back” if they miss a few sessions or hold back on their usual exercise regimen temporarily. My advice is to try to put these fears aside. You will soon be able to restore your performance when you are fully refreshed and not enduring drowsiness or repetitive bouts of “brain fog” induced by total energy failure.

What Exercise Can You Do?

If you have been suffering a series of sleep-deprived nights then I would suggest that you steer clear of workouts which demand accurate co-ordination such as using heavy compound lifts, climbing or gymnastics. Balancing exercises and exercises that include explosive bursts of movement (plyometrics) such as jumping or sprinting may be negatively affected too.

OK. Exercise or Not?

The general message is that you don’t need to avoid exercise completely, but you should aim to adjust the degrees of intensity and complexity in your sessions. Which, of course, is where your Personal Trainer can step in with appropriate advice and guidance to help you manage the moment.

If you really don’t feel like a workout one day, just go for a walk! Movement is still good – especially in the cooler mornings before the sun really kicks in.

Above all, don’t stress about “diluting” a few sessions or even missing some out over a period. You know you can recover your position safely and in a controlled way when your body tells you it’s ready.