Tune in as you tone up

Do you tune in as you tone up? One study found that mindfulness during exercise tends to boost satisfaction with the effort. It can also help you stick with it.

Think of mindfulness while exercising as meditation in motion. The act of meditating is to be deliberate with your thoughts. And you want to have a mind-body connection. Both of these elements are beneficial when moving your body during physical activity.

Meditation in motion is a beneficial behavior to adopt during your journey of health improvement. It can carry into health maintenance, too.

Meditation in motion is an intentional act. It takes practice, persistence and flexibility, just as adopting any behavior change will. Although challenging, dedication to the behavior has an excellent payoff. Mindfully exercising can enhance your overall well-being.

The next time you workout at home or hit the gym, practice meditation in motion. It can yield an exercise session that leaves you more satisfied. Especially when compared to workouts spent zoning out watching TV, blasting music or flipping through a magazine.

Do your chosen activity and use these meditation methods:

• Hear each inhale and exhale of breath.
• Feel each step on the treadmill or stride on the elliptical.
• Concentrate mentally on each active muscle group when strength training.

Take meditation in motion a step further:

• Observe the moment as it is.
• Quiet your mind from judgments and thoughts not pertaining to the activity at hand.
• Be kind to yourself (be flexible) when your mind wanders away from the exercise you’re doing.
• Acknowledge the lapse of mindfulness and return to the present moment.

As meditation in motion becomes easier, increase the duration in which you use it. Start small (five minutes at a time) and add minutes as you’re able. You may find that you exercise more often and for a longer duration. You may also get more satisfaction through meditation in motion than by exercising with distraction.

Meditation in motion is one beneficial approach to stress management. For other stress management techniques, visit with your health care provider.

Laura Grovogel, Wellness Manager, Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay, WI.