When and how runners can meditate
This article was originally published on Bookculinaryvacations.com under the title "6 Mindful Tips for meditating while running". Check out their content as I they are a nice team to work with and they will appreciate you as a customer. I have taken their ideas and added some more depth to it. You will find tips on how to start meditating and how it works for beginners and experienced runners.
Running is an excellent exercise, especially if you want to lose weight. There is data which shows that running helps alleviate stress, anxiety, and depression. Going for a run detaches you from the daily grind. This should be an opportunity to relax and focus on your body.
Whenever I came home stressed and angry from my job a run in the evenings helped to calm down. Before dinner was the ideal time back then to not blow my top as I was very stressed from work. I have now moved on to exercising in the mornings to have more time with family. When I do not meditate and exercise, I can feel my anger and stress levels rise quickly during the day. Sitting down to relax and giving it all in the gym have therefore become part of my morning routine.
One of the main components of effective meditating is diaphragmatic breathing. This is not possible for your strenuous interval and long runs. You should, therefore, use recovery runs to meditate. Here are six tips for you to get started.
1. Breathe deeply
Meditation and control of the mind are all about your breath. It is amazing what you can achieve by paying closer attention to it. Try 10 deep breaths inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. After this move on to normal breathing. Count to ten by counting on each inhale and exhale. Repeat and focus mainly on your breath.
I recommend this on your park runs where there
2. Put some thought into your running form
Recovery runs can be used to relax and chill out. There is no need to have the same tension as with the other runs where you focus on increasing distance or speed. Relax your hands and let them drop. Keep your torso still. If you can not relax your hands try only to touch your index finger and thumb instead of making a full fist.
3. Perfect running form first
Meditating while running is more suited to experienced runners. You should be able to go on autopilot for the running mechanisms. As long as you are starting out get used to normal breathing. Test your limit. Map out some running paths close to your home.
Once you have some experience experiment. Try runs with more relaxed form and with less tension to then move on to meditating.
4. Stop running and walk when you feel tired
For beginners, this is good advice. A friend of mine started to run with me and I deliberately slowed down. He was determined to run as fast as me, even though I already had been training for more than two years. In the end, we had to walk anyway so do not stress yourself too much.
Experienced runners also tend to forget this for their long runs. If you are on a 20 or 30-mile run it does not make much of a difference for your overall time to stop and meditate for ten minutes. Especially when it is training and not competition. This can be a welcome break and make the Long runs on the weekend less of an ordeal.
5. Make sure you run at your most comfortable pace
This ties into the recovery runs already mentioned in this article. You can use heart rate monitors to track whether you are overdoing it or not. There is also a technique for people who do not want to invest. Run at a pace that you can comfortably talk to someone else who is next to you. This is a good
6. Never skip the stretching before and after the run
Stretching is important and often overlooked by runners. You can considerably lower the risk of injury by stretching properly. It is also a good opportunity to practice deep breathing even further.
Try some Yoga from YouTube to get the moves you like most and can be done before and after a run. Once you memorized the routine, pay special attention to your breath.
Rule of thumb
At some point, you will experience a "runner's high". This is a state of mind that is completely calm and only focused on one thing: running. Meditation can help to elevate yourself to this point easier and faster. Perfect your running form and routes first. Separately work on your breathing and stretching. Combine the breathing from stretching and routes for the ultimate running experience.
Bonus
Headspace is one of the most popular apps for mindfulness and meditation. You will be guided by a voice on how to meditate. I first came across the app when it got recommended on the Tim Ferriss blog.
The basic program is for free. The paid subscription is the pretty low price for the amount of content you get in turn. You will get guided meditation for
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Sleep
- Depression
- Pregnancy
- Cancer
- Pain Management
- Regret
- Anger
- Change
- Restlessness
- Self Esteem
- Relationships
- Patience
- Happiness
- Acceptance
- Appreciation
- Kindness
- Generosity
- Prioritization
- Productivity
- Focus
- Creativity
- Balance
- Leaving Home
- Motivation
- Training
- Competition
- Communication
- Analysis
- Recovery
- Rehab
Conclusion
Meditation and running can be combined especially for recovery runs. Long runs are also an option to get a break in. If you are a beginner focus
About the Original author
Cara Haley, contributor writer in https://www.bookyogaretreats.com/, she is the editor-in-chief for Comfort Hacks where she reviews shoes for different foot issues and
Further reading
- 12 practical tips for fitness coaches to be healthier
- As a man thinketh for fitness coaches
- Best apps for fitness coaches
- Choose yourself for fitness coaches
- Deep work for fitness coaches
- Finish for fitness coaches
- Grit for fitness coaches
- How fitness coaches get mindfulness easily
- How fitness coaches get unlimited power for their clients
- Mastery for fitness coaches
- Rework for fitness coaches
- The ONE Thing for fitness coaches
- The power of now for fitness coaches
- The power of positive thinking for fitness coaches
- The power of thinking big for fitness coaches