Exercise on no sleep?

kiela64
kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Would you exercise on no sleep? I very much want to try out the gym at my school, and I've made plans with a friend to go together tomorrow afternoon. She won't go alone, so if I don't go she will be mad she brought her things. But it's about 5am and I've been tossing and turning all night, and I need to be up in an hour and 45min, and I doubt I'll sleep at all. My heart is beating quite fast & I can't relax. I don't want to let my friend down, and I also want to finally get to the school gym that's intimidated me alone. But I don't want to injure myself or do something dangerous. What would you do?

Replies

  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,400 Member
    If going to the gym ups your anxiety level, then you'll never be ready. You have a friend that's willing to help you get there and support you. I wouldn't let her down even if I were half dead. It won't matter how much you do, it's just setting foot in there. If you suffer from anxiety why not look into yoga? It regulates your breathing plus exercise. I've been doing it for a year and it's amazing. I've been swimming for 20 yrs, but the benefits of yoga are worth squeezing it in. Don't let your friend down, gather your courage and --leap!
  • bendyourkneekatie
    bendyourkneekatie Posts: 696 Member
    Go, but take it easy.
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    In this instance, as @snowflake930 says - GO

    If you were a regular gym goer and had a bad night where you didn't sleep I would not recommend training since the lack of sleep might be either dangerous or indicate a forthcoming cold or 'flu but that doesn't seem to be the case here.
  • TehLaughingDog
    TehLaughingDog Posts: 200 Member
    Honestly, just go. It's possibly anxiety from going to the gym in the morning. Today might suck training wise but at least you got in there and exposed yourself to it thus, hopefully, helping you relax about going tomorrow. Otherwise you'll never go... Totally have had this problem before ;)
  • brightresolve
    brightresolve Posts: 1,024 Member
    I've heard that no sleep affects cognitive function and emotions more than physical performance. Definitely go, it's your first time so go easily; but the extra exercise will only help your next nights sleep. Good luck! I'm not sleeping either and I'll run tomorrow :)
  • efwww
    efwww Posts: 7 Member
    Sleep is very important for everything: health, muscle recovery.. But since it's the first time you go to the gym, I doubt you're going to do heavy lift. In the end it's your body, i don't think you're going to injure yourself but take it easy
  • bendyourkneekatie
    bendyourkneekatie Posts: 696 Member
    And just as a point of reference, the first time I ran 21km (a half marathon distance-wise), was after being up all night being thrown up on by both my kids (and I do mean *on*). Obviously I'm not suggesting you do anything remotely similar, as I had been running for a while by then, but the exercise was brilliant for getting me over the over-tired-anxious-exhausted feeling and I was able to sleep better the following night (as much as I was able), compared to how I usually go after a sleepless night. (And ok, the following day I started throwing up myself, but correlation, causation, gastro, toddlers, etc.)
  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
    edited February 2016
    Thanks! I'm really glad I didn't cancel on her. I won't be doing anything too intense for sure. I wasn't anxious bc of the gym, though it does make me nervous, but an assignment I handed in at midnight. Same difference though lol. Yes I've done yoga classes in the past, and recently I've been following some YouTube videos on my own. I like it a lot!
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
    just for normal ' i dint get much sleep' ill still go. might not get in the best workout, but ill go.

    im not going today as i was up most of the night with a sore throat and post nasal drip yuckies and i try not to spread my germs and dont trust those 'cleaners' at the gym to really disinfect anything....





    probably where i got it ....


    lol
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,799 Member
    bendyourkneekatie wrote: »
    Go, but take it easy.

    This.

  • RowingBill
    RowingBill Posts: 36 Member
    kae612 wrote: »
    Thanks! I'm really glad I didn't cancel on her. I won't be doing anything too intense for sure. I wasn't anxious bc of the gym, though it does make me nervous, but an assignment I handed in at midnight. Same difference though lol. Yes I've done yoga classes in the past, and recently I've been following some YouTube videos on my own. I like it a lot!

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
    The morning of? No. But I often go to the gym after sleeping4- 5 or so hours and have a 13 hour work day. Gotta get it done.
  • Dillzies
    Dillzies Posts: 5 Member
    kae612 wrote: »
    Would you exercise on no sleep? I very much want to try out the gym at my school, and I've made plans with a friend to go together tomorrow afternoon. She won't go alone, so if I don't go she will be mad she brought her things. But it's about 5am and I've been tossing and turning all night, and I need to be up in an hour and 45min, and I doubt I'll sleep at all. My heart is beating quite fast & I can't relax. I don't want to let my friend down, and I also want to finally get to the school gym that's intimidated me alone. But I don't want to injure myself or do something dangerous. What would you do?

    Always hit the gym, I find it wakes me up AND helps me sleep better
  • UnicornAmanda1
    UnicornAmanda1 Posts: 56 Member
    Go but take it easy... I always work out on no sleep.. I have two kids lol. Gotta get it done
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 8,883 Member
    The weeks I have my graveyard rotation at work I do not workout between shifts, but I do hit the gym following my final graveyard when I'm trying to get back into a normal daytime sleep pattern. The exercise wakes me up and helps jar my internal body clock back to normal.

    Running-wise I haven't noticed any differences once I get going, though it does take a mite more willpower to get started. Lifting-wise I just avoid any lifts which places a weight above me (bench press, OHP, BB squat) and substitute in a different variation (smith machines or squats with DB's held at my sides), just in case a moment of weakness causes me to lose my grip.
  • victoria_1024
    victoria_1024 Posts: 915 Member
    I have 4 kids ages 6 and under. If I didn't exercise when I didn't get any sleep I would never exercise. There have been time periods where I was truly so sleep deprived that I just couldn't do it but most of the time I fight through the fatigue.
  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
    Thanks guys! I'm really, really, really glad I went. I feel really good for going, much more comfortable with the space (a Friday afternoon is the perfect time to case the joint, there weren't many people around at all, which was really nice). I didn't overdo it, especially as it's been a while since I've been on an elliptical or bike. I didn't get to try the weight machines, because they're all in a different section and looked much more complicated than I've ever seen before. Everything was much more high-tech than I'm used to, so there was a small learning curve. But now I've seen where to go to get into places, through the different doors and corridors, I feel like I'm much more likely to go back :)
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    Awesome post. Well done.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,400 Member
    Good for you--please go back. Don't let your experience end here. Yes, the machines are complicated, but all it takes is to ask one of the instructors to explain how they work.
  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    Good for you--please go back. Don't let your experience end here. Yes, the machines are complicated, but all it takes is to ask one of the instructors to explain how they work.

    Well I've made plans with my friend to go again on Friday next week, so maybe next time we'll do that. :)

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