TFC Day 9 - Sleep to Get Fit

Sleep is essential for healing and well-being.  If you don’t have enough energy you can’t get fit, and sleep is the cornerstone of building energy. Today’s assignments all relate to getting a better night’s sleep. 

1. Evaluate your sleep patterns and how well your routine promotes a good night’s sleep.  The SleepFoundation has good information about this on their website.  Interestingly, both my sons use sleep tracker apps for their smart phones that calculate how much sleep they get and how they can modify their schedules to get a better night’s rest.  I don’t recommend any particular app, but I do recommend that you do an internet search if this interests you.

2. Set your alarm to get up early tomorrow. Decide how early you want to wake, perhaps a full hour to do tomorrow’s assignments before you start the rest of your day, or perhaps just 15 minutes. 

3. Breathing is the number one way you can control your energy.  Today the breathing practice is to facilitate relaxation and sleep. 

4. Today’s physical practice is a yoga routine I designed to help you unwind and relax.  I suggest doing it about an hour before you go to sleep, but you can use it any day you want a more restful practice.

5. Choose a route for a walk or hike to do tomorrow and write schedule it in your calendar. You will be doing this rain or shine, feel like it or not.  Pick something that can be modified, made shorter or longer, and one that is neither too flat nor too hilly.