What's more important, exercise or sleep?

rachelsanantonio
rachelsanantonio Posts: 3 Member
edited November 29 in Health and Weight Loss
I know ideally we should do both, but for me to make time for exercise I have to get six hours of sleep at night. So what's more important, sleep or exercise?

Replies

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    IMO, sleep.

    Are there any days of the week when you could sleep more than 6 hours and still exercise?
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,029 Member
    Sleep. However, I have it hard to believe that ANYONE couldn't do 30 minutes of exercise somewhere in their day of 16 hours of being awake. Even if one had a desk job, a stationary pedal machine would work.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    It would at least partly depend on how active you are outside of "exercise". Both being sedentary and not getting enough sleep can be detrimental to your health. If you can't get enough activity and sleep in a day then you might want to look at cutting time somewhere else.
  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
    Sleep!

    But get a pedometer and put as much activity as you can into your regular day. Pace while on the phone, etc.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    It would at least partly depend on how active you are outside of "exercise". Both being sedentary and not getting enough sleep can be detrimental to your health. If you can't get enough activity and sleep in a day then you might want to look at cutting time somewhere else.

    This.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    Maybe add to the question for most people. Which is more important, sleep, exercise or TV/video game/other screen time and ask again.
  • prettysoul1908
    prettysoul1908 Posts: 200 Member
    For me... It's exercise. I sacrifice sleep to wake up at 530 am to work out.

    I would rather go to bed early than not work out
  • BoaRestrictor
    BoaRestrictor Posts: 194 Member
    Packerjohn wrote: »
    Maybe add to the question for most people. Which is more important, sleep, exercise or TV/video game/other screen time and ask again.

    You can't have it all, you have to make time for exercising.

    To OP, get some sleep. It's real important.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    H4N4H wrote: »
    Packerjohn wrote: »
    Maybe add to the question for most people. Which is more important, sleep, exercise or TV/video game/other screen time and ask again.

    You can't have it all, you have to make time for exercising.

    To OP, get some sleep. It's real important.

    And do it at the expense of screen time as opposed to exercise time.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    you MAKE the time for both.

    if it is important to you, than you find the time.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Both.

    I teach a time management course. If you have a very busy schedule (school/long commute/long work hours) then be creative where you get your exercise. I suggested to one of my participants that he get off the bus several blocks from home. Instant daily walk.
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
    I HATE sleeping. Waste of a perfectly good six hours I could be accomplishing something in my opinion. On the other hand, the longest any human is known to have gone without sleep is 12 days and that guy died.

    I have nothing to contribute I just wanted to complain.
  • CraftHer
    CraftHer Posts: 30 Member
    I have trouble sleeping and 6 continous hours would be a treat. Can you split the difference at 30 minutes?
  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
    Both. Tell me the rest of your schedule & I'll tell you where to cut.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    scolaris wrote: »
    Both. Tell me the rest of your schedule & I'll tell you where to cut.

    This.
  • alittlelife14
    alittlelife14 Posts: 339 Member
    Sleep!!!!
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    Sleep. However, 99 out of every 100 people that have ever asked me this somehow have time for tv/ social media. So if you have time for TV or social media, you have time to workout.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    Asher_Ethan wrote: »
    Sleep. However, 99 out of every 100 people that have ever asked me this somehow have time for tv/ social media. So if you have time for TV or social media, you have time to workout.

    #PREACH
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Asher_Ethan wrote: »
    Sleep. However, 99 out of every 100 people that have ever asked me this somehow have time for tv/ social media. So if you have time for TV or social media, you have time to workout.

    This is very true.

    I had terrible sleep apnea. Until I had treatment for that, I was absolutely miserable and couldn't function well enough to exercise. But as soon as I got treatment, I started working on fitness through diet and exercise and a big part of that was cutting out 95% of my TV time.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I exercise and get my screen time at the same time. Walk on the treadmill while your watching tv, or take your phone out with you and go for a walk.
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
    edited February 2016
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Sleep. However, I have it hard to believe that ANYONE couldn't do 30 minutes of exercise somewhere in their day of 16 hours of being awake. Even if one had a desk job, a stationary pedal machine would work.

    I really wish I was awake 16 hours a day.

    For me sleep >>> exercise, but I also make exercise a priority every day because when I didn't, my weight got out of control and it only made things worse.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Asher_Ethan wrote: »
    Sleep. However, 99 out of every 100 people that have ever asked me this somehow have time for tv/ social media. So if you have time for TV or social media, you have time to workout.

    Amen.
  • ashleyjongepier
    ashleyjongepier Posts: 130 Member
    As a mom, sleep haha. ALWAYS.

    Totally agree with others though, if your on social media, watching TV, sitting on the couch you have time for a 30 minute workout.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Asher_Ethan wrote: »
    Sleep. However, 99 out of every 100 people that have ever asked me this somehow have time for tv/ social media. So if you have time for TV or social media, you have time to workout.

    Probably. But those can be done while other necessary tasks are being accomplished. You can watch TV while breastfeeding, preparing dinner, cleaning the house, eating, working, answer a call of nature, etc.
  • ForecasterJason
    ForecasterJason Posts: 2,577 Member
    While I think it's very important to make time for both, I would have to say sleep. For the past 4 months I have gotten an ample amount of exercise, but I've struggled some with insomnia. I do think the lack of getting a solid deep sleep consistently has masked some of the health benefits that I should be getting from exercise. So essentially, I would say there's not much you can do to make up for not enough/proper sleep.
  • Mouse_Potato
    Mouse_Potato Posts: 1,513 Member
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    I exercise and get my screen time at the same time. Walk on the treadmill while your watching tv, or take your phone out with you and go for a walk.

    This is me. I don't allow myself to watch Netflix unless I'm on the treadmill. One episode of "Once Upon a Time" burns over 200 calories without missing plot points. :D
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