Exercise and Sleep Apnea

Exercise and sleep apnea – exercising is a great way to mitigate the symptoms of sleep apnea. Indeed, combining exercise with treatment options such as a CPAP machine could lessen the severity of your condition as well as helping to reduce your risk of developing other more serious health issues such as coronary artery disease, heart attack, and stroke.

If you’re feeling daunted by the thought of starting an exercise regime, don’t worry. There are plenty of ways to start getting active that are enjoyable and pain-free. We’ve put together a few tips to help you get started:

1. Do something you enjoy

One of the best things about exercise is that there are plenty of options available. Walking, dancing, jogging, gardening, and even doing a spot of DIY are all great forms of aerobic exercise if you’re starting out. Remember, doing something you enjoy will increase your chances of sticking to your new lifestyle regime.

2. Try to exercise most days of the week

Try to exercise for around 30 minutes most weekdays. If this isn’t possible, however, simply do as much exercise as you can. Five minutes of moderate-intensity exercise is better than not moving around at all.

3. Set realistic goals with the help of a medical professional

Anyone serious about getting fit should consult their doctor before starting a new regime. A medical professional will be able to advise you about how hard you should push yourself and whether your medical history rules out specific kinds of activity. Once you have assessed how much exercise you can manage, you can set some realistic goals to work towards. Whether it’s running a 5k or simply being able to run around the block a few times, setting a goal will help you stick to your healthy new lifestyle.

4. Start slowly

Remember that there is no easy route to instant fitness. Start slowly and gently and build up your fitness over weeks and months. This will help you to avoid injury and burnout.

5. Exercise with a friend

If you have any friends who would like to improve their fitness, try working out together. As well as making your exercise sessions more fun, it will increase your chances of sticking to your new regime. It’s easy to stay motivated if you have a friend you don’t want to let down.