Speed round: schvitz or sleep?
Fri, Dec 10, 2010
(my wrinkled tank-top and the option I choose. both shocking I realize.)
Ok, People.
I know it’s a hectic time of year & none of us really have a moment to spare.
Im grateful that you’ve made time to drop by my neck of the neck & shall show said appreciation by cutting to the chase.
When your life becomes holiday-harried what do you choose: schvitz or sleep?
Sure in a perfect world we’d have time for plenty of both.
Yes Im hoping that come 2011 this perfect world shall become a reality.
Until then, with all the working-shopping-card addressing-partying attending-stress escalation, there appears (at least in my world) to be a need for a choice.
Im known for saying I find Im not markedly more tired if I get up 30 minutes early to exercise, yet I know many of you beg to differ.
And, as much as I erroneously like to believe Im always right, the more I researched the more the choice appeared to be a health-benefit toss-up.
Lemmie break it down.
Too little sleep can cause:
- fatigue (shocking, I realize. We are all about the breaking!news! here at MizFitOnline)
- daytime sleepiness
- lowered productivity
- clumsiness (ooh, perhaps that’s my problem?)
- weight gain
- sugar cravings
- colds
- anxiety
- depression
- MamaMiz to be less than her normal, patient, benign, sparking self.
The benefits of exercise (even short bouts!) include what most of us already know:
- increased energy
- reduced risk of getting sick/some cancers
- lowered depression
- lessened anxiety
- improved overall sense of well-being
- weight-loss
- better sleep
(seriously. I know youre in a hurry so Ill sum it all up for you right here: Yep. Crap-shoot, People. I choose exercise, but there’s plenty of stuff in the PRO-column for selecting slumber as well)
**let the speed round commence**
That’s my question to you today:
What makes you feel best when you dont have time for everything?
When you’re forced to choose during this crazy jam-packed season whats your selection SCHVITZ or SWEAT?
Please to hit us all up quick, fast & in a hurry in the comments below.
This post is brought to you by the fit-minded Peeps at Sears Fit Club. What pursuit they’re more likely to select—sleep or sweat—-only they can say….
and 
hmm, they’re mutually reinforcing for me. Sleep is a must-have, but decent exercise helps me to sleep well…
Personally, I opt for ditching something else (the laundry, an extra hour of unpaid overtime or, dare I say it, blog reading!) to make sure there’s enough time for both sleep and exercise in my world every day.
schvitz makes me feel best, but i always choose sleep. it also makes me feel better and is so much more up my street.
What a great question. When I don’t have time for everything what makes me feel good is making a commitment with myself to try to fit (exercise) another day of the week. Then I have to be at peace about it and at the same time look forward to that day. I guess I see it as setting yet another goal for myself. That’s what works for me. Finding peace is my key, no matter what.
I hate to say it Miz but these days I am about the SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP!!
I need my rest and recovery time.
It all depends on the day for you.
As you have detailed it is almost the same benefit-wise!
ALWAYS SWEAT!!!
I’ve been getting up earlier and it’s definitely helped me. I don’t exercise when I first get up though. since I work at home, I have the benefit to make my own schedule. So I get up earlier to squeeze more work in during the morning so that I ca get a workout in during the day.
The workouts are A HUGE benefit for me. Gives me time for me, time to actually think about things when I’m not in a rush to handle three things at once, and I can actually focus on thinking about “one thing” at a time.
And with a workout a day, I definitely feel better, think better, and SLEEP BETTER!
I tend toward being a very anxious person and exercise helps with that.
Definitely schvitz (sp).
SWEAT.
Speaking of which….
When time is in short supply, I compromise on both. A little less exercise and a little less sleep is okay, but omitting too much of both leaves me cranky and making silly (yet remarkably tasty) choices.
Sweating makes me sleep better.
Choice made for me
Sleep.
I try to get both but if I don’t sleep I can’t lift.
I’m a girl that needs both, but needs sleep more and more.
1/2 hour of extra sleep isn’t going to make that much difference; sweat for sure.
I have a coffee mug that says YOU CAN SLEEP WHEN YOU’RE DEAD
I choose the opposite of what I should…. sleep, I need to change that.
I’m working to make it my new good habit to work out in the morning when I first wake up. I do find that it’s great to go through the day not feeling guilty that I haven’t exercised yet. I’m trying to go with that as my motivation. So far it is working.
That’s a hard one and I have to say it depends on the day. But, knowing me and my “lazy by nature”, I’m going to have to say when push comes to shove: sleep.
Zzzzzzzzzzzz.
Where is the tanktop from?
Im not sure they still sell them but it is from popjudaica.com
I don’t see it - wah!
On this sleep deprived Friday I choose sleep. Most of the time I’m down with sweat though.
I love this!
I choose sleep but should pick sweating.
Sleep tends to make me even more lethargic.
Believe it or not, I try to keep balancing them. Sometimes being a really anal person who likes to stick to their schedule pays off!
Sweat on the week days, sleep on the weekends! If I can’t pull that off I’ll just sweat.
I love this! And I needed to think about this, too. Sleep is never my strong suit. All my life I’ve fought sleep. But now my older wiser self is discovering that I need sleep - as much as I can get. But here’s the tricky part, if I don’t get some exercise, I’m too tense to sleep. So, schvitz it is
As always, Carla, I appreciate your support. You have a way with helping others feel less like misfits (cute, huh?)
I always pick sweat.
Perhaps I SHOULD sleep more
I’m finding time for both and cutting back on the holiday stuff I might normally spend time on. Like… shopping. (Thank you, Amazon.)
I am useless if I don’t get enough sleep. Ideally, I try to make sure I’m getting a little bit of exercise - even 20 minutes of yoga before bed - because regular exercise helps me sleep better. But…I. Must. Have. Sleep. Just ask my husband.
If it is in the morning I would definetly choose sweat, but if it is later in the day I will choose sleep.
oh i sleep, if i don’t get it i’m a cranky bear! i’ve also been making time for 20-30mins exercise in the morning after i wake the last 2 weeks. i think it’s been helpful!
Totally depends on my mood.
Lately I’ve been more focused on getting plenty of sleep. The “exercise” I’ve been doing has been limited to a little bit of walking (sometimes only 30 minutes in the day), and doing some light strength training or yoga a few times each week.
Yay! A new word to add to my vocabulary. And I did have to look it up to see what you were talking about.
Lately I’ve been making time for schvitz no matter what time that may be. It’s been working. If I’m so busy that I can’t take a schvitz (LOL that sounds funny) then I need to trim my activities.
No stress this year. Won’t let it happen. Even when the schvitz hits the fan.
(Love this new word)
Well… I do adore my sleep… and I find that I eat less when I am sleeping. haha
A different S?
Stretch.
I chose sleep today. But Chickadee is on the upswing from #nosleepville so I should be BAAAAACK for a couple of months to ‘sweat’ soon
I make monthly goals and every month for the last few I’ve been including: Get 8 hours of sleep. I need it. We all need it, especially during the busy and very germ-y season!
I’m with Jo (#1) - I’d rather skimp on something else -cook a really fast supper, let the laundry sit another day, catch up on blogs and SM another time- and get both in.
Though I will admit that with my gym located at a shopping mall the day immediately before and after the xmas I will avoiding the place. (if only I had the discipline to workout at home).
Sadly what often sufferes is the dog’s exercise- and they need it as much (if not more) than I do.
I’m blessed that i can sweat while working, getting intervals in as i go about my daily business.
If i had to choose, it would have to be sweat, and nap for a half hour at lunch.
Where did you get that tanktop?? I need to buy that for my mom for Hannukah! That is so great!!!
S
L
E
E
P.
Schvitz all the way! (for some reason that feels wrong typing that…)
Yesterday I chose sleep because I was not really functioning without it. I’ve had a week of crappy sleep and I couldn’t do anything else. I slept and slept. Today I will get out there and exercise, feeling functional again.
I’m working on the balance and harmony in my life. Sometimes it calls out for a day off and other times, that call out needs to be ignored because I need the workout!
You are too funny & handing out important info at the same time!
Most of the time I sweat because it is what it is with me & I like it for stress relief. Sometimes the sweat works better than the sleep. I know I may change this one day but for now, 99% of the time it is sweat even if I have to shorten the workout.
I don’t sleep much so I guess I automatically choose schvitz. But if I had the choice (meaning I didn’t wake up 12 times a night but actually slept through), I’d give myself a couple of good sleep-in days but otherwise force myself to get up and move.
When life gets crazy it could go either way. If my body sends signals that it must sleep or become ill, then I sleep. If I have become anxious or fidgety or stressed or any combination of the three, excercise is my choice. It’s all about listening to what your body needs that day and making sure to get. If somethings gotta give around here, it’s the Christmas cards.
Amen to that last sentence, Peggy!
Both. Like others have mentioned, schvitz and sleep are both high priority, and other stuff gets the axe. What would I choose right this second? [head thumps on desk] Zzzzzzzz….
Depends. If I feel like I’m just dragging a little, maybe didn’t sleep well the night before, and I don’t feel like working out will injure me, I’ll do it. If I am exhausted and feel like working out will do more harm than good, I either tone it down or rest.
Running pretty much knocks me out, I don’t have much choice. If I don’t sleep, I can’t run. So I sleep!
Hmmm, dont have time for everything?
Well slowly I am coming to see the benefits of exercise on stress and energy. The old me would find revival in a burrito with a side of burrito. At least I found temprary euphoria and escape in two-fisting burritos. The effects were short lived and soon the stress returned and a few extra pounds joined me as well.
Sometimes I sweat while sleeping. But I think it’s my age. Either that, or I need to use less covers. And somehow I feel like this is not answering the question. :/
I’m a 50/50 girl. I plan on getting up Mon-Fri at 5:30 and getting in my sweat session before the girls get up, but on occasion I just got too little sleep that I feel for my body, my sanity and my children’s safety I need that extra hour of sleep so I will skip the sweat session. That is not the norm though and I KNOW that I feel better after a good morning work out so I make sure I get it in at least 4 mornings a week.:)
Today? SLEEP.
OK, I’m the weird one, I generally always have time for both..yes I get up at 4:30 or 5 to workout, but I’m also always in bed for my full 8 hours no matter how early. I’ve given myself permission not to bake or send christmas cards this year, meh, I’m just one not to get over-busy.
Exercise is my first coice. Though sometimes sleep wins….
Most days sweat. But the odd day when I’ve really been up late doing stuff I sleep. 1 day off here and there won’t hurt.
I choose sleep. Why? Mainly because I find my coordination (which is kind of bad to begin with! lol Just call me klutz) gets worse. Do I really want to try step or weights when I’m dropping my pen and walking into the door frames at work already?
Smarter choice, get some sleep. The next day will be better and workout then!
It may be a cop-out answer but I strive to balance both. I guess if pushed I’d say workout, though it becomes increasingly more difficult in bizzard conditions when it’s still dark out.
Where on earth is that amazing tank from? I think I *need* one!
Exercise!!! That makes me feel better when I am in one of my moods/funks!
Most of the time, I’ll axe something else so I can exercise AND sleep.
If that’s not possible, I’ll go with exercise (because being that busy has undoubtedly made me stressed, which exercise will help but sleep will not) UNLESS I feel myself getting sick, in which case, sleep trumps all.