A new research upon a large body of work showed how critical both sleep and fitness are for overall health.

Various studies show that healthy amounts of each individually are linked to increased longevity. And at least one suggested that sleep problems tended to increase the chances a subject would die during the follow-up period but that regular exercise helped eliminate that risk.

Now the researchers behind a new study theorised that working out might help balance out the effects of unhealthy sleep by combating inflammation or possibly helping to regulate metabolism and sympathetic nervous system activity. It’s also possible that poor sleep contributes to heart disease risk by elevating blood pressure and inhibiting insulin resistance. Exercise might counter this by regulating blood pressure and increasing insulin sensitivity.

It is important to keep in mind that when people are sleep-deprived, they may be more likely to injure themselves during a workout. After all, the question shouldn’t be whether to trade sleep for exercise. According to research, people who do best are people that do both well.

The study, carried out by a team of Chinese researchers, was published in the European Journal Of Preventive Cardiology.