We all love sleep so why not make the most of those extra few hours in bed over the festive season?
Sport360 reveals three ways in which you can burn fat while you sleep!
Let us know what you think of our top tips!
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SLEEP MORE HOURS
It might sound obvious but more sleep is good for you. When you sleep, the hormones leptin and ghrelin are still working. The former regulates your energy levels and keeps your appetite low while ghrelin can often initiate the urge to eat.
Increased sleep effectively helps to reduce ghrelin and instead increase leptin levels, helping you to control your appetite throughout the day.
RESISTANCE TRAINING
This isn’t quite as intense as it sounds but essentially it’s very worthwhile doing some form of fast-paced exercise, whether that’s 30 press-ups, sit-ups or free-flowing stretching before you hit the pillow.
A pre-slumber workout can mean that you have a higher metabolic rate for an average of up to 16 hours after a workout. It’s doesn’t have to be a marathon session by any stretch of the imagination but by getting the blood pumping before bed you will feel the benefits in the morning.
In addition, you could also introduce a casein shake post-(pre-sleep) workout.
Casein is a slowly digested protein that can take your body up to eight hours to break down. By drinking this, you keep your metabolism alive throughout the night and wake up energetic rather than hungry. It’s also a quick way to burn some fat.
EAT SMALLER MEALS THROUGHOUT THE DAY
We all know that it’s easy to indulge over the festive period but eating smaller meals throughout the day, with the occasional snack thrown in, can actually keep your metabolism ticking over nicely.
This can help your body burn fat throughout the night where as frequent large meals, such as a big lunch and dinner, can leave you feeling bloated and rather full as you struggle to get to sleep.