January
Why Sleep Might Be Your Most Underrated Training Tool 😴💪
Lately the nights have felt more like a slow-roasting sauna than a time for deep rest 🌡️. When the temperature refuses to drop, our bodies struggle to do the same and sleep is often the first casualty.
For anyone investing in their physical training or general wellbeing, sleep isn’t a luxury add-on. It’s foundational. The magic of progress - muscle recovery, energy restoration, hormone regulation, motivation - happens when we’re horizontal, not when we’re under a barbell or clocking kms 🏋️♀️🏃♂️
Why Sleep Matters for Training
Here’s the short version: good training stresses the body; sleep repairs it. Without enough repair, the stress hangs around.
Poor sleep can show up as:
Lower energy and slower reaction times ⚡
Reduced strength and endurance 🏋️
Increased appetite and cravings 🍪
Irritability and lower motivation to train 😖
Higher injury risk 🚑
It’s the invisible ingredient that turns hard work into progress.
The Heat Factor 🌙🔥
Hot nights make it harder to fall and stay asleep because the body needs to cool by ~1–2°C to enter deep sleep. When that process stalls, you tend to wake more often and spend less time in restorative REM and slow-wave sleep.
Cue: sluggish mornings, heavier lifts and training sessions that feel harder than they should.
Simple Ways to Improve Sleep even in Summer
1. Cool Down Your Sleep Environment ❄️
Breathable sheets, fans or open windows help. Even a cool shower before bed can assist your body’s cooling mechanism
2. Watch the Late-Night Caffeine & Alcohol ☕🍷
Both disrupt sleep cycles. Shifting timing to earlier in the day can make a big difference
3. Create a Downshift Window 📉
20–30 minutes of low stimulation before bed (dim lights, no doom scrolling, no work email) signals to the nervous system that it’s safe to power down
4. Prioritise Consistency Over Perfection ⏰
Sleeping and waking at similar times boosts sleep efficiency. Your body loves rhythms.
The takeaway: when sleep is treated as part of training not an afterthought, energy returns, sessions improve and results accelerate.
If training feels unusually hard right now, it might not be your program or willpower. It might simply be the heat, the sleep and the very human body you’re living in. 🌿
NZ-Relevant Sleep Research to Explore
If you want to dig a little deeper into some Kiwi research, the University of Otago’s WellSleep Centre conducts ongoing sleep research, including studies into sleep patterns, sleep disorders and interventions to help people sleep better. You can check out their research and clinical work here:
👉 WellSleep Centre — research and sleep tips: https://www.otago.ac.nz/wellsleep/wellsleep-centre-research
What’s Coming Up at Fortis
There’s a lot on the horizon as we roll into 2026 and it already feels like the Fortis crew is finding its groove again after a well-deserved Christmas reset!!
The Masters League Open Online Qualifiers 🎯
Kicking off this week! Best of luck to everyone throwing their hat in the ring - we’ll be cheering you on and watching the leaderboard with interest
HYROX - Next Weekend 🏁
It’s nearly go time!! Whether you’re racing, supporting or just there for the atmosphere, HYROX always delivers good energy and big grit. Can’t wait!
Back to Routines After the Break 💪
The Fortis crew have been filtering back in and rebuilding habits - love seeing the mix of commitment and summer smiles as everyone resets for the year
New Faces in the Fortis Community 👋
A warm welcome to those who’ve recently joined us – we’re stoked to have you in the crew and keen to see where training takes you!
Fortis Fit Kids & Teen Angels Return in February 🎉
Our younger athletes are back at the start of February and we’re pumped to kick off another year of fun movement, confidence building and skills!!
Plenty happening and its only January!!
Keen to Join Us?
If you’re new here (or just HYROX-curious 👀), come along for a free trial session and see what Fortis is all about. No pressure - just movement, community and a good sweat!!
Already Training With Us?
Now’s a great time to lock in your routine, set a 2026 training goal or throw your name in for a comp or event. And as always bring a mate. Training is better with people you like 🏋️
#fortisfsc #sweatsmilerepeat #fitnessonthecoast #fortisrocks
