180.6 Sleep and Exercise

I woke up this morning weighing less than I have in a while, and realized I had the longest, best sleep I've had in a long time. So many of my gal pals complain along with me that we can't sleep through the night. I've never asked them about how much they exercise, but now I'm wondering if, in spite of all of the hormone issues that I read get in the way of a good night's sleep, a lack of exercise also plays a part. For me the real challenge (there's that word again) is about balancing what I do in terms of exercise while taking care of my arthritic spine. One reason I love the elliptical is that there is no impact so it is gentle on my whole system while at the same time it gets my heart rate up and just feels good. But I do need to walk so that there is some impact to strengthen my bones. So here's the question... why do I sleep better after doing the elliptical for a half hour versus walking briskly for a half hour?

On that note, I'm heading out for a walk.