Exercising on a regular basis doesn’t come easy for many of us, so a regular regime of walking is the best alternative with the bonus of helping you sleep much better!

It's no secret that regular exercise is a good way to get better, healthier sleep. This is especially helpful if you suffer from insomnia. But maybe you’re not inclined to rigorous exercise or maybe your sleep pattern is okay, you’re not an insomniac, but you could improve how you sleep. Will moving your body more when you’re awake really help you sleep better at night?

So how exactly does walking improve sleeping? For one thing, being exposed to natural light by walking outside in the morning helps maintain a strong circadian rhythm (the 24- hour cycle in the physiological processes), which promotes healthy sleep.

Exercise is also associated with reducing stress and generally helping you feel better. There are social benefits of walking with another person and that adds an additional boost for your mood, which also improves your sleep.

Besides helping you sleep better, walking has many other benefits such as these:

• Helps you burn calories
• Strengthens your heart
• Helps lower your blood sugar
• Eases joint pain
• Boosts immune function
• Gives you added energy

Here are some suggestions to make your walks more fun and interesting:

• vary where you walk
• walk the dog
• walk with friends
• join a walking club
• walk at different times of day
• drive to a park where the views better

Good reminders

• Walking for 30 minutes a day or more on most days of the week is a great way to improve or maintain your overall health.
• If you can’t manage 30 minutes a day, even a little is good, but more is better.
• Walking with others can turn exercise into an enjoyable social occasion.

As you’re going for your daily walk, be sure to notice the beauty of the trees and remember how important they are to our planet. They provide oxygen which we breathe, and take in the carbon dioxide that we breathe out. Trees are important to Mother Earth. Island Slumber’s Plant a Tree program is affiliated with American Forests, a respected forest conservationist group. Each time you buy something from Island Slumber, American Forests will plant a new tree somewhere in the U.S. It’s our way of helping support a greener America. We believe it’s important to ‘live green’. Join us!