It is easy to become distracted during exercise, but mindfulness can have many benefits. You can be mindful of your breathing while working out, which can help reduce stress and improve your mental health.
If you lose focus on the task at hand, it can be difficult to feel satisfied with a job well done. You may not get as much out of your workouts. It’s not hard to see. Think about it.
This can be changed by mindfulness-based fitness. You might be able to get more from your workouts if you bring more mindfulness and focus.
Benefits of Mindfulness during Exercise
There is a lot to be said for zoning out while working out. It can be relaxing to put on your favorite music and move your body with a simple activity that doesn’t require you to think about, such as running or walking. This allows you to let your mind wander while your body does its job.
If you become too distracted, it can cause you to lose your connection to what is happening. When we’re present, there is a flow. This flow has many benefits.
Better Mental Health
One small study showed that mindfulness exercise combined with exercise could help reduce stress, depression and anxiety.
Similar results were also found in another study. Another study was done on college students. It found that moving mindfully for 14 consecutive days improved negative affect.
Improved Physical Health
You may be able to improve your physical health by exercising mindfully. Research has shown that mindfulness can improve your physical health. For instance, mindfulness practice is linked to lower body mass and faster glucose (blood sugar).
According to research published in American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, mindful fitness can increase breathing, heart rate and parasympathetic activity. This includes activities like Tai Chi, Pilates and yoga.
Mindfulness has been shown to be associated with feeling better about your physical health. This can also lead to healthier lifestyle choices.
A stronger commitment to exercise
It can be difficult to keep your commitment to exercising. Mindfulness can help you stay committed to your exercise routine.
This is what a study of 266 exercisers showed. People with higher mindfulness scores were more likely to stick to their exercise programs.
Higher levels of satisfaction
It can be a satisfying activity all by itself. It gives you satisfaction when you have completed your workout for the day. It’s a feeling of accomplishment that you know you did something good for your health.
Research shows that mindful exercise can increase satisfaction, particularly for those who have had trouble making exercise a regular habit.
How to practice mindful fitness
It takes effort to find flow in a world filled with distractions. This involves staying present without judgment, so you can focus on what is happening now and not on the future or past.
Every workout should have a purpose
We exercise too often with a focus on weight loss. However, exercise is an important health goal that goes beyond burning calories. You can exercise for other reasons than weight loss.
A purpose gives you something to be focused on and something to do. It will also give you something to look forward to, something you can work towards, and something that you can feel good. Here are some examples of a workout purpose:
Finish your workout
- To strengthen certain muscles (e.g. “I’m going focus on all the muscles in mine lower body”)
- To push yourself (e.g. “I’m going focus on working as hard during my interval training”)
- To exercise for a set period
- To focus on a particular area of fitness (e.g. “Today, I’m doing cardio in order to build endurance”)
