Meditate before or after workout to improve health
A mind and body practice
Meditation doesn’t have to be a long drawn out process to have a positive impact on your workout. You can meditate before or after workout with just a few deep breaths to lower blood pressure and reduce conditions such as anxiety, depression and insomnia. The simple act of putting a hand over your heart or your palms together over your chest triggers your parasympathetic nervous system, which is the part of the involuntary nervous system that serves to slow the heart rate and relax the muscles. This calming effect helps you cultivate a positive mindset, which in turn allows you to decompress and sleep better. These lasting benefits post workout help to boost your immune system so you’re left feeling your best.
Combining meditation with exercise:
Exercise alone also improves your mood by increasing oxygen and blood flow to the brain. This helps to reduce symptoms of depression, promote mental clarity, slow the aging process and improve the muscle strength and health of your organs. Together exercise and meditation provide the most valuable impact on your health.
Meditation to prep body for workout or recover in cool-down
You can meditate before or after workout and have it be valuable. Doing meditation before your workout allows you to connect with your body and be present in each movement. This helps ensure you are getting the most out of your workout by engaging the correct muscles that should be activated in each exercise. Meditation post-workout gives you a chance to slow your breathing and your heart-rate and feel gratitude for the work you’ve just done.
Meditate before or after workout positions
Meditation can be done before or after workout either in a sitting, standing or lying position. It’s a matter of personal preference. However, comfort is key so that your body can fully relax and your mind can be present. In either of these positions you should have your palms facing up resting at your side, on your thighs or across your chest. If you are sitting or standing focus on keeping your posture in an upright position with your shoulders down and spine erect. Concentrate on relaxing each muscle in your body to release any tension and slow your breathing.
Types of meditation
A guided meditation involves listening to someone lead you through a breathing or talking meditation. This can be done using an app such as Headspace, Calm or Insight Timer. If you are a beginner this can be a good place to start. Silent meditations involve focusing on either the sounds around you or different parts of your body. This you can do on your own. Both styles are effective for achieving desirable results on your health.
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