A Comparative Study of Combined Aerobic Exercise Versus Walking on Sleep Quality of Individuals with Insomnia

Mohamed Nainar A; Hari  Babu L; Mohamed Zerein Fathima M; Alagappan Thiyagarajan; C Ramesh; KC Gayathri

Mohamed Nainar A Senior Physiotherapist, Department of PMR, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Kelambakam, Chennai, India.
Hari Babu L Chief Physiotherapist, Department of PMR, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Kelambakam, Chennai, India.
Mohamed Zerein Fathima M Assistant Professor, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vels Institute of Science Technology and Advanced Studies, Chennai, India.
Alagappan Thiyagarajan Senior Sports Physiotherapist, Department of Sports Medicine, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Kelambakkam, Chennai, India.
C Ramesh Professor & HOD, Department of PMR, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Kelambakam, Chennai, India.
KC Gayathri Assistant Professor, Chettinad School of Physiotherapy, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Chennai, India.

Keywords: Aerobic Exercise, Insomnia Severity Index Scale, Anxiety, Sleep, Insomnia, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Visual Analogue Scale

Abstract

Insomnia is a disorder which is caused by stress, anxiety, inadequate sleep practices, physical illnesses, mental health conditions, medication usage, and neurological abnormalities which reduce the duration of sleep and lead to difficulties in both initiating sleep and achieving restorative rest. The objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of combined aerobic exercise and walking on subjects suffering from insomnia. Thirty participants were selected by simple random sampling method and were divided into the following two groups: Group A (experimental group) consisting of 15 subjects who received combined aerobic exercises (static cycling, jogging, and Zumba dance - 15 minutes each), and Group B (control group) which consisted of 15 subjects who performed only walking for 45 minutes. Pre-test and post-test scores were recorded using the Insomnia Severity Index Scale and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index respectively. Statistics were analysed using paired t test and SPSS software. The experimental group and control group showed an increase in sleep hours and quality of life but there was a significantly higher increase in the experimental group in sleep hours as compared to the control group. Hence, this study concluded that combined aerobic exercises proved to be statistically significant in reducing the symptoms of insomnia as compared to walking.

How to cite this article:
Nainar A M, Babu L H, Fathima M M Z, Thiyagarajan A, Ramesh C, Gayathri K C. A Comparative Study of Combined Aerobic Exercise Versus Walking on Sleep Quality of Individuals with Insomnia. Chettinad Health City Med J. 2024;13(1):108-112.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2278.2044.202419

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