The Best Workouts For Restful Nights, Sleep Science Reveals
Key takeaways
- Author: Ava Durgin May 10, 2026Assistant Health Editor By Ava Durgin Assistant Health Editor Ava Durgin is the former Assistant Health Editor at mindbodygreen.
- While we’ve long known that exercise can improve sleep, a recent study gives us a clearer picture of which types of workouts actually make the biggest impact.
- Their goal was to determine which routines improved sleep the most.
Why this matters: practical guidance grounded in recent research or expert insight.
Author: Ava Durgin May 10, 2026Assistant Health Editor By Ava Durgin Assistant Health Editor Ava Durgin is the former Assistant Health Editor at mindbodygreen. She holds a B.A. in Global Health and Psychology from Duke University.Image by W2 Photography / Stocksy May 10, 2026Sleep quality tends to decline as we age, leaving many of us tossing and turning—an issue linked not just to fatigue, but also to higher risks of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cognitive decline, and more.
While we’ve long known that exercise can improve sleep, a recent study gives us a clearer picture of which types of workouts actually make the biggest impact.
Researchers compared five categories of exercise: aerobic activities like brisk walking, cycling, or swimming; strength training; balance exercises; flexibility exercises; and combination workouts such as yoga or Pilates. Their goal was to determine which routines improved sleep the most. Here’s what they found.