Words Louise Pyne
We already know how pounding the pavements has the power to inject our mood with the feel-good factor. But there’s another way to sustain the flurry of positive emotions that come from running and smashing your running potential.
Experts believe that mental training is just as important as physical training, and when it comes to seeing results meditation can help. Scientifically proven to improve resilience and focus, merging meditation with running (otherwise known as MAP or mental and physical training) can help to relieve feelings of low mood and depression. In one study, parents with severe depression who took part in 30 minutes of meditation and 30 minutes of aerobic exercise over eight weeks had improved mood and lower levels of depression. Scientists found that the brains of participants underwent neurogenesis (growth of new brain cells called neurons) in the hippocampus region of the brain which is responsible for mood, memory and learning.
“Meditation is about training in awareness and getting a healthy sense of perspective,” says Director of Sport at Headspace, Lindsay Shaffer. “You’re not trying to turn offyour thoughts or feelings. You’re learning to observe them without judgment. And eventually, you may start to better understand them as well.”
While seated meditation practice done separately from your running routine can help to improve performance, run meditation (where you bring awareness to your physical movement while eliminating distractions) is also hugely beneficial as it enables you to tune into your body and throw away the clutter.
The benefits
Leaving those swirling thoughts behind and staying present in the moment can make you more positive, feel relaxed, confident and can help to blast away negative emotions, which, in the long run (pun unintended) enables you to be more focused. “This means you can make gains towards your end fitness goal, taking it one stride at a time,” says Lindsay. And there’s more: athletes who consistently practise meditation can help their body recover faster, especially if an injury occurs, as it enables you to observe discomfort without judgement in order to overcome pain.
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