Every year I tell myself that I'm going to exercise more, but this time it's different - I'm actually doing it. To get my blood pumping and finally reach my #healthgoals I dove into the world of CrossFit.

I know it sounds intimidating, and trust me, I was incredibly nervous to get started. However, once I broke past my fears I discovered what the hype is all about. The workouts are a great balance of aerobics, calisthenics, and weightlifting so I never get bored and always feel challenged to keep pushing myself. The only downside is dealing with my soreness.

I've been aching in places that never ached before and it makes gearing up for my next workout difficult. While I want to push through the pain and keep going, I'm realizing now I need to focus on recovery as much as I do on the workout itself.

When I spoke to a friend, a big CrossFit fan, about my soreness they recommended I check out Eight Sleep's Pod Pro mattress. I thought it was weird to turn to sleep when my goal was to be more active and in bed less.

He explained that sleep is the foundation of wellness and without a goodnight's rest my body wouldn't be able to perform the way I want it to. It made sense to me so I decided to look into Eight Sleep a bit more.

The Pod Pro turned out to be more than just a mattress, and I realized why of all the mattresses out there my friend had recommended this one in particular. First off, it's a smart cooling mattress with the ability to cool or heat each side of the bed between 55 and 110 degrees. Could this really mean no more waking up in the middle of the night overheated? I would give anything for one night of uninterrupted sleep.

Just because of this incredible feature I decided to try the Pod Pro. There's a 100-night trial, so the mattress was delivered right to my home - nothing beats trying a mattress out for yourself, after all, it's such a serious investment.

The first night with my Pod Pro, I noticed a major impact on my sleep. The 5 layers of premium foam gave my body great contouring support, giving me relief in all the right places. Plus, I had been a bit sore from my workout earlier in the day, so I set the temperature at 80 degrees while I was lounging before bed, perfect for muscle recovery.

Heat and cooling therapy are great, and Healthline¹ reports that applying heat improves circulation and blood flow to soothe discomfort. Exactly what I need after an intense CrossFit session.

After 20 minutes of treating my sore legs, I set the temperature back down to 60 degrees for a cool night of restful sleep. Of course, 20 minutes of heat didn't magically cure my soreness and I was definitely dreading waking up for my early workout.

To my surprise, Eight Sleep's GentleRise™ technology made waking up so easy. The smart alarm woke me up with gentle vibrations at chest level while also gradually warming up the bed.

I woke up for my workout feeling well-rested and energized to take on my CrossFit journey and my busy day in general. The coolest part is using the free Eight Sleep app to track how I slept throughout the night. Sensors in the mattress track biometrics like Sleep Stages, Sleep Time, Respiratory Rate, and Heart Rate Variability, all to generate a daily health report and help me stay on top of my wellness and recovery.

After a couple of weeks, I knew I was definitely keeping my Pod Pro. Eight Sleep complimented my CrossFit routines, helping me reach a whole new level of fitness. I'm bouncing back day-to-day and feeling better than ever. Like everyone I still have some bad nights but at least with Eight Sleep's app, I can look into exactly what's wrong and adjust.

Investing in your sleep is so important to your health and with Eight Sleep it costs as low as $68 a month to sleep smarter. I can't believe how much a goodnight's rest has transformed my entire day, especially my workouts. Get the Pod Pro so you can get SleepFit while tackling your CrossFit.

Readers will exclusively get over $250 off the Pod and for a limited time during Eight Sleeps Winter Sale!

¹Gotter, Ana, and Judith Marcin, M.D. "Treating Pain with Heat and Cold." healthline.com, https://www.healthline.com/health/chronic-pain/treating-pain-with-heat-and-cold#heat-therapy.