How well does a fitness expert sleep?

How well does a fitness expert sleep? Prof. Dr. Stephan Geisler gives us a personal insight into his sleep habits, explains how sleep is connected to fitness, sports, and training, and offers us great tips for a sleep-friendly daily exercise routine.

Table of contents

1. Our expert: Fitness professor Prof. Dr. Stephan Geisler
2. How well does the fitness professor sleep?
3. Tips & useful information on sports, sleep & health

1. Our expert: Fitness professor Prof. Dr. Stephan Geisler

Our sleep depends on many different factors, and even as an expert in the field, we are not immune to a bad night. Prof. Dr. Stephan Geisler is a professor of fitness and health at the IST University in Düsseldorf and has been involved in research and continuing education in the field of muscle training for more than 20 years. In our Podcast He told us how he organizes his daily routine and training to be sleep-friendly, and why he still often loses sleep. We'll give you an overview of the most interesting answers here.

2. How well does our fitness expert sleep?

[An interview with Prof. Dr. Stephan Geisler]

In general, would you say that you sleep well?

Well, my wife would definitely say that. I have to say that my sleeping habits have definitely changed in the last few years since I became a father. For 40 years, I slept really well. Since then, of course, things have been a bit different, because something often happens at night. Anyone who already has children will know that. Things change a lot.

So you slept well beforehand?

Right, I'm actually a pretty good sleeper. Of course, I know what many people know: that in the evening, if you're thinking a lot, you might not be able to fall asleep so quickly. But then there are also simple techniques that can help. You also know in which position you fall asleep well and in my case that it has to be as dark as possible.

When I was a student, I even used to watch TV until I fell asleep. Today, I don't allow myself to do that anymore because I realize it's not good or healthy. In retrospect, though, I would do it differently.

Are you more of a late riser or a short sleeper? About how many hours a night do you sleep?

Actually, I'd describe myself as more of a short sleeper. I've realized that if I get seven hours of sleep, everything is truly right with me. And that's all fine, and after a coffee and maybe a little early morning exercise, I'm ready to go.

Do you have a specific sleep routine or specific sleep times?

Everything's been thrown off track by the children. For example, now you put them to bed late because they're so excitable. Then I lie down with them again, fall asleep, and wake up half an hour to an hour later. Then, of course, you're wide awake again and maybe can't get to sleep until 1 a.m. Otherwise, I was someone who didn't go to bed too early, but rather around midnight. When the alarm went off at 7 a.m., I was actually pretty fit.

Do you have any specific evening routines?

That changes almost from decade to decade. I actually used to train in the evenings and stay up relatively late—sometimes I didn't get home from training until 10 p.m.Later, because of my studies, I was often out in the evenings with my classmates, and after that, I traveled a lot for work and stayed in hotels a lot. Now with the kids, I actually prefer sitting on the balcony with my wife or watching Netflix. Who knows what my routine will look like in the next decade.

Does exercise have an impact on your sleep patterns?

Yes, to everything. My wife often tells me that when I'm irritable. Then she'll say, "Could you please go and work out?" If I don't have physical exercise, my stress level rises, and that's not good for anyone. And it's not good for my sleep either. That's why I keep working out and try to establish a workout routine to create more balance.

Stephan has already shown in this article explained.

Do you have specific training times?

These can vary. While working from home, I occasionally allow myself the luxury of being reachable by phone while still being in the training area. But I don't find that so bad in my job as a fitness professor.

Do you have a favorite sport?

I've been doing strength training for 33 years now. Of course, at some point, you don't always look forward to it anymore. But I still enjoy strength training and muscle training. For example, when I'm on the beach volleyball court with friends in the summer, I think I release more endorphins.

Sport isn't just your hobby, it's also your profession. How did you decide to turn your passion for sport into a career?

We actually had career counseling back in high school, and someone came along and said, "If I can give you one piece of advice, don't look for what will earn you the most money, but rather look for what makes you happy and what you enjoy doing every day." That impressed me back then and certainly helped me do what I enjoy doing. And I'm still very grateful that I did that, because I almost never feel like I have to work in the morning.

Is there anything from your sporting or professional life that has had a lasting impact on you and you would like to share?

You only realize how important sleep is when you become a parent. Before that, you take it for granted, and perhaps that's why you don't think about it that much. It just always takes a jolt to make you think about sleep and become aware of it. That can also be a sleep disorder that affect many people. I'm very grateful that I'm not one of those people. Therefore, I believe you simply have to look at many things more consciously. Walking through the world a little more consciously, a little more mindfully—that's what I would generally recommend.

3. Tips & useful information on sports, sleep & health

In our special podcast series on fitness, sleep, and health, you can learn even more about Prof. Dr. Stephan Geisler and discover his most important tips and interesting facts about the interplay between sport, health, sleep, and well-being. Click here for the podcast ➨

If you want more information and tips about sports and healthy training, simply follow the fitness professor on YouTube or Instagram!

Best regards and see you soon!