Study Finds This Type of Workout Best Boosts Sleep Quality
A new meta-analysis examines how different forms of exercise affect sleep. Conducted by researchers at Harbin Sport University in China and published in the journal Sleep and Biological Rhythms in 2025, the study finds high‑intensity yoga is most effective for improving sleep, outperforming activities such as walking, resistance training and some traditional Chinese practices.
Which exercise came out on top
The researchers ran a network meta-analysis that pooled data from 30 randomised controlled trials, involving over 2,500 participants from more than a dozen countries. They aimed to identify which type of exercise worked best for people with sleep disorders.
Unlike earlier work (for example the 2023 meta-analysis, which favoured aerobic exercise three times a week), this study pointed to high‑intensity yoga performed in sessions of less than 30 minutes, twice weekly. Those short, twice‑weekly sessions produced noticeable improvements in sleep within 8 to 10 weeks.
Yoga’s effect may come from more than movement alone. Alongside physical postures, yoga uses breath control that can activate the parasympathetic nervous system (the ‘rest‑and‑digest’ system), helping the body calm down for sleep. Some studies suggest yoga can change brainwave patterns, encouraging deeper, more restorative sleep.
How this compares with earlier studies
The 2023 meta-analysis recommended aerobic workouts three times a week as the best route to better sleep, so the 2025 findings offer a different perspective. One trial included in the 2023 review did find strong sleep benefits from yoga, but that finding was largely overshadowed by the focus on aerobic routines. Differences in recommended intensity and frequency highlight how exercise effects can vary between individuals.
A note of caution and what’s next
The Harbin Sport University team advise caution when interpreting the results, because the studies included varied in how they defined and measured sleep problems. They call for more high‑quality research to confirm the findings and to investigate why high‑intensity yoga appears to be effective.
The review also found that exercise in general tends to improve sleep. Direct head‑to‑head comparisons and longer‑term follow-up still need further study.
Why tai chi might pay off in the long run
Alongside the yoga findings, a separate 2025 study compared tai chi with cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT‑I). In the short term, CBT‑I produced larger reductions in insomnia symptoms. By 15 months after the intervention, however, tai chi practitioners had “caught up”, showing similar gains in sleep quality, mental health and physical activity. That longer‑term benefit may be linked to tai chi being easy to learn and to fit into daily life, making it a useful complementary option for improving sleep.
What this means for people chasing better sleep
The study identifies high‑intensity yoga as a strong option for people struggling with sleep. There is no one‑size‑fits‑all solution; individuals respond differently, and what helps one person may not suit another.
While high‑intensity yoga is highlighted here, practices such as tai chi show promise over the longer term and can form part of a broader approach to improving sleep. Maintaining regular physical activity, in a form that suits the individual, remains an important component of sleep and general well‑being.