What many people don't know is that sleep is just as important for your body as fitness and exercise are. Sleeping is a crucial part of your exercise routine. To get results from exercise sleeping is a must. When you sleep your body is recovering, storing energy, and building your muscles. Most people do not keep proper sleep as a priority.

We think that we can skip out on a few hours of sleep to finish our work from the day, our essay that's due tomorrow, or to binge watch that series we've been wanting to see. When we do this, we are harming our bodies and our overall well being. More than 30 percent of Americans are sleep deprived. Adults should get at least seven to eight hours of sleep a night for your body to go into full recovery mode.

Getting proper sleep also helps to regulate our moods and it improves and maintains our ability to learn and retain information. For example, many college students stay up all night to cram for an exam. This harms their bodies, it would be better to study in increments throughout several days and get proper sleep each night. They most likely will do better on the exam with proper sleep. Weight loss also becomes more challenging without good sleep. When sleep is restricted to maybe only four hours a night, the body has no time to carry out its processes.

In our society of rushing and deadlines, we do not prioritize what is best for us and our bodies. We can start helping our bodies and well being by making a conscious effort to get the proper seven to eight hours of sleep a night. So, turn off the tv, silence the phone and go to bed at a time that will allow sleep for seven to eight hours. For more information about health and fitness, contact Kay Colgan, Middleburg Pilates, and Personal Training, 14 S Madison Street, Middleburg, VA or call 540-687-6995.