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Hey! This is the Malaika Fitness newsletter- The newsletter that turns health and fitness into a fun, easy-to-read email for you each week.

Take five minutes to learn why health and fitness should matter to you.

Here's what we got for you:

• Sleep and why it's essential

• Tea Time 🫖

• Hot Links

• Mfit meme just for you 🎁

YES - Sleep is absolutely essential.

Dude. I’m going to be so real with you right now. You need more than that 5-6 hours of sleep you’re getting at night.

Sleep is a vital piece of our overall health and wellbeing. I often think of my health as three main pillars- one for proper nutrition, another for movement and exercise, and the third… you guessed it! SLEEP and recovery.

Quality sleep allows our bodies and minds to recharge and repair. This time plays an ever-so crucial role in maintaining our mental health by helping us to regulate emotions, boost our mood, and improve cognitive function. Cool cool okay, now what about physical restoration? A hormone we naturally produce called HGH, or human growth hormone, is released as you snooze (specifically in REM sleep). Human growth hormone stimulates muscle tissue growth and helps you recover from that crazy training session you just had as well as simply the physical strain of day to day life.

TRY and hit that eight hour mark. The results will come faster when you give your body the opportunity to do its job.

Tea Time

Nighttime routines can have quite a major impact on your physical and mental well-being. Incorporating a habit or two in the PM will help your brain and body prepare for that sweet, sweet slumber. Here are a solid few I personally appreciate-

• Drink tea: Throwing back a warm cup of tea can be a very relaxing and calming experience which helps you unwind from a long and stressful day. BIG tip- throw in some magnesium powder! Magnesium will help synthesize a special neurotransmitter that helps calm down that big brain of yours.

• Meditation: Taking some time to find your zen (via a meditation sesh) can scientifically help reduce stress and anxiety. Finding a more peaceful state of mind can really help you catch quality 💤s.

• Journaling: This one can be a valuable tool helping you process your thoughts and emotions and allow you to reflect on your day. Gratitude journaling is a favorite of mine- you can make this super simple by just jotting down 2-3 bullet points at the end of each day. Eventually you run out of the basics to be grateful for, “my friends, my family, my pets, my partner”, and you start to notice the smaller things that impact your day and your life... Things that may go unnoticed otherwise : )

These habits can be implemented to create a sense of structure and routine before bed- This means better sleep and a happier AM version of you.

Hot Links 4 u

✅ Magnesium: Throw this magnesium powder into your evening drink of choice! 🫖 A glass of water will work, too.

✅ Sleep and Mental Health: Check out this meta-analysis examining the relationship between mental health and improved sleep quality.

✅ Melatonin👀: Check out this awesome podcast clip with Stanford Neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman- He touches on why melatonin might not be the best choice as a sleep aid.

Everyone could always use a classic meme ⬇️💕

Do yourself a favor, and listen to the aggressive but valid message from Mr. Bear 😘

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