My name is Tristan Hillebert! Some of you may remember me from many moons ago, I completed my internship through Union in 2023 and worked the front desk for a brief period after.  I have spent the past two years away from Union working at Shape Training where I trained one-on-one, semi-private, and coached athletes ranging from youth to professional. I’m excited to be back, and will be joining the team as the Head of Personal Training.

In my free time away from coaching I enjoy anything that gets me outside… fishing, shooting, working on my truck, etc.  I also played hockey at the NCAA level, and enjoy playing in local adult leagues with buddies from school.  Like every retired athlete I’ve developed quite an addiction to golf in my down time.  If you ever want to talk sports, outdoors, or just want to chat, feel free to come say hi!

Tristan

Benefits of proper sleep

Recovery:

Training hard is required to make progress, but also needs to be followed by proper recovery. Part of this recovery process is done in our sleep as our bodies release hormones to repair damaged tissues or muscles, reduce inflammation (if any), and induce muscle growth. Improper sleep rushes this process and can increase the amount of time you need to recover between training sessions. Training without proper recovery can lead to injuries or less progress.

Cognitive function:

Improper sleep can result in less focus and higher cortisol (stress) levels. Both of these have an impact as it takes our attention away from training. When programming training sessions, each part is designed with a specific purpose to meet your overall goal. As a result, any attention taken away from that training is impeding your progress towards that goal. Stress and feeling unfocused are also common reasons for people to skip training sessions.

Immune system:

Improper sleep can also lead to a weakened immune system making you more susceptible to sickness. Being sick impacts how well you perform in training and can even prevent it all together.

Energy:

During training we use different energy stores in our body to fuel the work being done. Sleep is a time where our body can restore these energy storages to allow us to come right back at it the next day. Without proper sleep these energy storages might not replenish as effectively. In some studies it has been shown that no sleep leads to no additional energy stored and ⅓ more energy used. I’m hoping none of us go without sleep but this gives you an idea of its impact.

Tips for better sleep

• Sleep 7-9 hours every night
• Make a sleep schedule and stick to it
• Having a bedtime routine
• Try not to take naps during the day, if you do keep them under 90 minutes.
• Avoid caffeine after the morning
• Avoid alcohol or substance use before bed
• Reduce screen time and exposure to light for as long as possible before bed.
• Don’t eat large meals close to bedtime.
• Eat a small snack before bed. Avoid sugary snacks or ones with caffeine (like chocolate).
• Exercise!

Sleep plays a huge role in our overall health and can have a huge impact on training. In order to live our best lives and progress towards our goals we need to properly sleep!

Josh