What do meditation and running have in common?
The research is clear: Both are good for our mental and physical health.
Running has many physical benefits, ranging from improved cardiovascular health to weight loss. It can also boost your mood, reduce stress and help you sleep better. Similarly, meditation improves your physical health by reducing blood pressure, improving your immune system and helping to manage pain. It can also help reduce stress and improve sleep quality.
On a psychological level, the benefits of both meditation and running include increased self-compassion, decreased anxiety and improved self-esteem.
So what happens if you combine them? You get the best of both worlds! By meditating while you run, you’ll have an opportunity to be mindful while engaging in a healthy physical activity.
Running Meditation: A Journey Within
Meditation while running is known as “moving meditation” or “running meditation” because it allows us to focus on being fully present in the moment as we move along our path.
This practice allows us to get out of our heads and be more aware of our bodies, eliminating any negative thoughts that may be weighing us down. This sense of awareness will allow you to enjoy your run more than ever before!
Meditation and running are both activities that can vastly improve your life.
Meditators report they sleep better, feel less stressed and live more in the present moment. Runners enjoy better health, lower body fat and a positive outlook on life.
So what do these two seemingly different activities have in common?
Both are a form of mindfulness training. Runners can be mindful by focusing on their breathing, observing their surroundings and tuning into their bodies sensations. Meditators can be mindful by focusing on a particular object for an extended period of time (i.e., their breath), observing their thoughts and tuning into their bodies sensations.
By practicing mindfulness you train your brain to pay attention to the present moment rather than worrying about future events or dwelling on past ones that you cannot change. This helps improve focus, decision-making and problem solving abilities while reducing stress, anxiety and fatigue. It also increases your ability to regulate emotions such as depression, anger and fear which may lead to greater happiness over time.
Perhaps most importantly, mindfulness promotes the development of self-compassion which research shows is an important predictor of overall well-being (Neff & Vonk 2009). This is because it allows us to detach from negative feelings, thoughts and emotions so we can
Meditation and running share a lot more in common than you might think. Both require commitment, both are often done in solitude, and both can improve your mental health.
Meditation has proven to have several benefits for the brain and its overall function. When you meditate, you can reduce stress and anxiety, improve memory, and increase alertness. It can also help you feel less depressed and angry by helping to regulate your emotions. Meditation is great way to clear your mind of anything that may be bothering you, calm down after a long day, or simply recover from a grueling run.
Running is great for physical health as well as mental health. It promotes positive moods by increasing your endorphins, reduces stress by lowering cortisol levels, and improves sleep quality. Running can also make you feel more confident about your appearance by improving body composition and decreasing fat mass. Regularly running for 30 minutes per day can lower the risk of developing hypertension and cardiovascular disease as well as help control blood glucose levels in individuals with Type II diabetes.
It might seem strange that meditation and running go together so well but it really makes sense once you learn some of the ways they are similar. So next time you go out for a run or sit down to meditate, think
If you meditate while running, you will be able to run longer distances with less effort. If you don’t meditate, your mind will wander and you will get tired or bored.
If you go on a long run without meditating, the first thing you will notice is the pain in your legs and feet. Then you will notice the pain in your back and neck. Then the pain in your arms and shoulders. Then the pain in your chest and stomach. And finally, the pain in your head. All these pains are caused by tension in the body. The most important thing to do while running is to relax.
A lot of people find meditation boring or pointless. But running is also boring and pointless! When I’m on a long run, I have nothing to think about except my breath and my strides and the scenery around me. It’s just like meditation! So why not meditate?
When I meditate, I focus on my breath going in and out of my nose. When I’m running, I focus on my breathing too; but instead of focusing on it just for its own sake, as I would when meditating, I try to feel how each inhalation gives energy to my legs and each exhalation takes energy out again
Meditation and running are similar in many ways. Both require discipline, focus and high motivation to succeed. As I have said in a previous post, meditation is a great way for runners to improve their motivation and mental toughness. In this post I will show you how running can actually help your meditation practice.
The most obvious similarity between running and meditation is that both require time and space to do it effectively. You can run on a treadmill at the gym or meditate while waiting for your ride at the airport, but those are not really ideal conditions. You need to create some time and space where you can be alone with yourself: no one to bother you, no distractions, just you and your thoughts.
As opposed to sitting still on a cushion or chair, running requires physical movement. But there is stillness in motion, if we pay attention to it. If we focus on our breathing, our feet hitting the ground or our muscles contracting and releasing we can quiet down our minds. And as we get better at it, that stillness inside of us will stay with us even when our minds start wandering again.
Running is also good for stretching our muscles before sitting down for a long period of time (or vice-versa). It’s like practicing yoga in
Meditation is everywhere these days, and for good reason. It has been scientifically proven to reduce stress, quiet the mind, and improve focus. And running is well-known as a great way to get in shape, relieve stress, and stay healthy.
Since meditation is so popular and running is so beneficial, what do we get when you combine them? The answer is: a whole lot more of the same!
Benefits of Meditation
Meditation has many benefits for your mental health, including reducing stress and improving focus. Here’s how:
During meditation, your brain switches from the beta state (normal waking consciousness) to the alpha state (a wakeful state of relaxation). This helps you relax and recharge.
Your breathing slows down during meditation. This calms your nervous system and reduces your heart rate. This also improves focus.
Meditating regularly will help you sleep better at night because it decreases tension in your body. It also decreases anxiety that may be keeping you up at night.
Benefits of Running
Regular exercise such as running has been shown time and time again to have substantial health benefits, including:
Lower blood pressure – regular physical activity can help lower blood pressure across the board, especially in people with high blood pressure or
Meditation is a word that has been tossed around for years. People have used it to describe everything from religious practices to sitting in complete silence. Some people view the word as taboo; others see it as a way of life.
Meditation is the practice of focusing your attention on a single object or thought for a period of time. It can be performed while sitting, walking or even running. Many people see meditation as a religious practice, but you do not have to be religious to enjoy the benefits of meditation. Meditation can also be used to describe mindfulness and other activities that help you recognize your thoughts without judgment.
Some people choose to meditate because they find it relaxing and therapeutic, while others meditate to help develop their thinking skills and their ability to focus on one thing at a time. Studies show that meditating on a regular basis can reduce stress, lower blood pressure and increase overall happiness.