The One Practice You Should Add to Your Workout Routine
Mindfulness is all the rage, and it has its reasons backed by science.
Throughout the epidemic of crippling anxiety, everyone can indulge in the calm-me-down practice. Meditation can seem off-putting at first for those who crave movement. Luckily, there is a perfect combo for sweat junkies.
Move your body to feel good.
There is no doubt that any form of movement boosts your mood.
Exercise helps stimulate the release of feel-good brain chemicals. Endorphins are a type of chemical messenger that helps relieve pain and stress. Physical activity also stimulates the release of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. They play an important part in regulating your mood.
What is more, focusing on your body’s movements during exercise may help distract you from upsetting thoughts. Setting and meeting exercise-related goals may also boost your confidence and sense of control. It serves as a placebo effect. You may move your body around, not see any physical results immediately, but your level of confidence raises as you take actions into getting healthier.
Quiet down your mind to feel even better.
Meditation, on the other hand, still raises many eyebrows. The practice has already gathered many proponents. However, there are still those who question the nature of it.
Mediation does not have to be a structured routine like a yoga session or sitting cross-legged for 60 minutes straight. No wonder that such limitations do not encourage setting on the mindfulness journey. It can be a simple gesture of placing a hand over your heart and consciously focusing on breaths. You can do it in any position you desire; by sitting, standing or lying down, or walking, preferably in nature. There are also no time limits, as long as it makes you feel good.
Mindfulness meditation lowers blood pressure and reduces conditions such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Meditating alters your brain, and with it, the way your body responds to stress.
Meditation decreases levels of the stress hormone called cortisol. As cortisol naturally rises during high-intensity workouts, meditation can help lower your cortisol levels, thus reducing the risk of injury, pain, and body aches.
According to Psychology Today, meditation is the strongest mental practice that has the power to reset your happiness set point, thus turning you into a more joyful person and literally rewiring major areas in your brain.
How about doubling the effects of your workout routine and creating a mindful movement?
A perfect combo.
Mind and body coherence is a powerful tool. You’re taking great leaps to improve your physical and mental health.
Both exercise and meditation have an astronomical effect on how our brain works. Regular meditation and exercise together are proven to boost your mental and physical health, promote motivation and productivity, and improve performance in all aspects of life.
Research suggests that those who intentionally focus on the feeling of moving and deliberately take in their surroundings enjoy exercise more.
A Rutgers University study published in the journal Translational Psychology found that a combination of aerobic exercise and meditation reduced symptoms of depression by 40 per cent. Exercise increases the flow of oxygen and blood, delivering more of those biochemical boosts that help your brain feel happy.
Meditation activates our parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for calming down our central nervous system. It affects the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for thought analysis, judgment and controlling emotions.
Is it a recipe to become a serene, centred and blissful human being?
How to begin.
It seems that the best way to start a meditative combo is to give yoga a go.
You can start with slow movements in tune with your breath. Because of it, you become mindful of every shift of your body. The key is to stay present on the mat. It is not just your body that is challenged, but also your mind to stay focused.
If any intrusive thoughts want to break in, do not worry. You are not a robot but a human being. You are allowed to go astray. Once you become mindful of where your thoughts go, bring them back into the present moment. Feel your feet grounding. Tense your abdominal muscles. Mindfully trace the movement of your hands. Keep your spine erect.
As you go, you can add quicker or more intense movements. You know your limits. You know the pace of your journey. With time, you might be surprised how more intense your workout seems as you become mindful of your every muscle while performing the drill.
As you observe every movement, you acknowledge how your brain reacts to novelty. How about stepping out of your comfort zone? How about twisting your spine in a different direction?
Questions to help you navigate through your new meditative exercise routine:
- How do you feel emotionally? Are you stressed, unfocused, excited? Listen to your body, do not push it just to prove something. What attitude do you bring to the movement?
- What is the purpose of your movement? Is it to feel better, change your appearance, tick off another point on your list, to be an example for your family?
- Is your body tired from the previous exercise? Do you crave a slow session today, or are you in the mood to squeeze the juices out?
- If you are working out in a group, observe your thoughts: are you comparing yourself to an advanced member of the group? Are you talking down to yourself to exceed your limitations?
- Are you tracing your breath as you are moving throughout the routine? Observe the tempo of your breath as you work harder and as you cool down.
- Notice your surrounding. How is the quality of the air in the room? Is there any music playing in the background? Do you have enough space to move around freely?
- Do you need to change the present moment? Would you like to be somewhere else? Are you rushing through the exercise?
You can also add meditation before or after your workout, as a cool down phase.
Particularly after a high-intensity workout, a period of time devoted to meditation or mindfulness can allow the body to rest and recalibrate, says Dr. Carla Marie Manly, Clinical Psychologist. This allows adrenaline levels to decrease while feel-good neurochemicals may increase.
What about other forms of movement? You can incorporate mindfulness into everything you are performing. From jogging, skydiving, to cleaning the house and brushing your teeth.
Any movement goes along well with meditation. The key is to anchor your focus in the performance and thoughts that come and go. Try to quiet them down by focusing on your breath and how your body feels.
Mindfulness during exercise offers us an invitation to new sensations.
You become aware of how many muscles you get to tense and feel. It slows your roll to get to know your body better; what moves bring you joy, what poses bring you resistance.
Whenever I engage in mindful practice, I become so immersed in the routine that one hour on the mat feels like 20 minutes. Time becomes irrelevant. I don’t get tired so quickly as I get to control my breathing and movements. I am present. And when you are present, you engage in what makes you feel good.
Breath is your best friend. Your body has greater stamina. When you exercise, your muscles work harder, your body uses more oxygen and produces more carbon dioxide. But when you become mindful of your breaths in and out, you can increase the duration of your breathings. You do not breathe as shallow as people tend to do when unfocused.
With mindful exercising, my day starts on a different note. I become calm, more collected, my thoughts are clear, and it becomes easier to control them throughout the day. I believe we should incorporate mindfulness as many times during the day as possible, not only in the gym or on the mat. By becoming present, you get to know yourself more. When you befriend yourself, you get to do what you truly love. And that approach can reap astounding benefits.
Go gentle on yourself. Do not demand instant changes. Do not push your limits. Accept your body and your mood as that they are, it is. Show yourself love and kindness. Start your workout with a grateful heart. You get to be here today. You get to move your body. You get to feel alive.
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