Worth the weight

If you want to improve your sleep, it’s time to start lifting weights, according to a new study. Research participants who did 60 minutes of resistance exercise three times a week for a year were found to snooze for longer than those who did aerobics only, or a combination of the two. The effect was strongest among those getting less than seven hours’ sleep a night, where sleep increased by an average of 40 minutes. Resistance exercise also helped them drop off more quickly at bedtime, researchers at Iowa State University discovered.