How to Meditate for Fitness
We are all aware of the benefits of meditation on our mental health and we all know the importance of cardiovascular exercise, but what not many people are aware of are the benefits of putting the two together. Meditating during a workout means using the benefits of meditation in a specific way to help boost your metabolism, lower blood pressure, and increase brain activation. It can even intensify the stress-reducing benefits of exercise, which is why many people exercise in the first place. Meditating while exercising can even help get your in better shape, faster, by forcing you to visualize the process and boost the results. By connecting the mind with the body you can take your workouts to another level. But meditation takes practice and, unfortunately, doesn’t come naturally to most people. Here are some tips to help get you started.
First breathe. Deep slow breaths, where you breathe slowly in through the nose and out through the mouth, will relax your muscles and start to prepare your mind to focus. When your heart rate gets pumping it can be difficult to continue to breathe slowly and deeply so be sure to start this breathing exercise before you begin sweating and panting.
Remember to focus. Don’t allow yourself to think about your day at the office or what you’re having for dinner. This is your time for improvement and to work on yourself.
Lastly, adopt a mantra. Whether you settle on a consistent mantra or change it from workout to workout, remind yourself of your intention. State your goals, desires or challenges and work to achieve and surpass them. Put thought into your actions instead of just acting.