These 7 Ways Combining Exercise And Meditation Can Change You For Good

Exercise and meditation are two of the most popular and effective ways to improve mental and physical health. Both have been shown to have numerous benefits of their own. But did you know that combining exercise with meditation can have even more wonderful effects? 

For example, reducing stress, improving mood, and increasing immunity. But what if you could get all the benefits of exercise and meditation by doing them together? 

Our bodies release endorphins when we exercise, which have mood-boosting and pain-relieving effects. Exercise can improve our mental well-being and quality of life. Adding meditation to the mix can help to improve our focus, concentration, and memory. It can also help lower stress levels and increase our calm and relaxation. 

You can meditate before or after your workout, or you can even do both simultaneously! If you’re unsure how to get started, there are plenty of options you can try out.

Combining exercise and meditation has many wonderful benefits. It can increase focus, improve joint health, and reduce anxiety. This article will explore the top seven benefits of combining exercise and meditation. In addition to that, we’ll also explore how you can get started today.

You can try this guided body scan meditation after your workout.

Before moving forward to benefits, let’s find out how to combine exercise and meditation.

How To Combine Exercise And Meditation Without Extending The Workout Time

Exercise is meditation in motion, so you don’t need to make a lot of effort to combine them.

Recent studies have shown that combining exercise with meditation can have some amazing benefits. When we exercise, our mind and body are both engaged and working together. This can help to improve our focus and concentration, and it can also help to reduce stress and anxiety.

So how can we combine exercise and meditation without extending the workout time? Here are a few tips:

• Pick A Form Of Workout You Can Enjoy: Try to find an exercise form that you enjoy, and that doesn’t feel like a chore. This will make you more likely to stick with it in the long run. Once you’ve found an activity you enjoy, try to be mindful of your breathing as you exercise. This will help you focus and be present in the moment and clear your mind of other thoughts.

Breath awareness is also a great meditation to make a combination of exercise and meditation.

• Allocate A Specific Time: There are a few best times for meditation practice. Most of us workout whenever we can if it’s not for the gym. If you want to combine meditation and workouts, set a specific time. Make sure you have enough time for both and don’t try to rush through. It’s best to do meditation and exercise in the morning. 

• Start With Combining For a Short Period Of Time: Start with a short period of exercise. Then add a short period of mindfulness meditation as you workout. You can gradually increase the amount of time you spend on mindfulness during workouts.

• Try Yoga Exercises: Yoga is a tranquil and slow-paced exercise form. Yoga already includes many breathing techniques for each yoga pose, and you can easily meditate when practicing yoga.

There’s also a type of meditation known as active meditation, which includes tai-chi, walking, and gardening. You can learn more about other types of meditation here.

Meditation And Exercise Benefits When Done Together

Learning about the benefits of meditation and exercise together will motivate you. You will feel inspired to exercise and meditate even if you are not regular with either.

You Age Slower

Exercise is known for keeping us in shape and fit. When combined with meditation, exercise also helps to reduce the side effects of daily stress. Stress and not being fit can make you look almost ten years older than your actual age.  

Improves Mind And Body Coordination

This is especially true when you are combining mindfulness meditation and working out. This combination naturally improves your forms when working out. It reduces the risk of injuries because you are mindful of your movements. 

Reduces Depression And Anxiety

Research published in 2016 shares that combining meditation with aerobics exercise reduces anxiety and depressive symptoms. The study was done with aerobics exercise but meditating and being mindful during any exercise can have the same effects.

Increase Energy During The Day

This is a well-known fact that we all feel more energized during the day when we workout. It becomes even more effective when we include mindfulness practice in it.

You can exercise before meditation or after if you don’t wish to include it in your workout routine.

Reduces The Need For Sleep

There can be many reasons why you feel the need to sleep a few extra minutes to a few extra hours. Our genetics and sleep chronotypes also play an important role when it comes to sleep patterns and needs.

If you find yourself tired during the day, then meditation and exercise can help reduce this feeling. Exercise increases blood flow to your brain, and meditation helps you utilize the power of your brain. When combined, the possibilities become endless.

Quickens Recovery Post Workout

Meditation after exercise or before both can help you recover faster after an intense workout session. You can do mindful stretching before you start working out. It will prepare your body for workouts and reduce the risk of muscle injuries.

You can also end your workout session with a progressive full-body relaxation meditation. This will help by providing rest and deep relaxation for faster recovery of the muscles.

You Feel Better & More Confident

By including exercise, even if light with meditation, you are paving the way for boosting your confidence. Meditation alone might not give the same result as combined with exercise.

There are many factors that affect our confidence, two of which are our mental health and how we look. Here we are not talking about just appearance. We are also taking into account the complex associated with not feeling fit enough. Feeling good about ourselves and having the inner strength to trust ourselves is extremely important. 

The combination of meditation and exercise makes it possible.

Interesting Read: Quantum Jumping Meditation: Everything You Need Know

Final Thoughts

Meditation and exercise keep a person healthy, look younger, and feel better. If you don’t have time to do them both, then combine them. The best thing about meditation is you don’t need to close your eyes to meditate. You can exercise after meditation or before, or you can also meditate during the workout. 

If you feel confused about how you’ll be able to meditate during your workout session, it’s easy. You can use a guided mindfulness meditation program or focus on the breath. The Enhanced Meditation app has many guided meditations that can be used for active meditation. You can try them out for free.