Embark on a Mindful Walk or Run for Fitness and Stress Relief
There’s no doubt that walking or running can help you lose weight and get in shape. It can also keep your heart in good cardiovascular health. If you practice mindfulness as you walk or run, you’ll also find that’s it a great way to get relief from stress.
Using mindfulness as you walk or run can help quiet anxious thoughts, bring your emotions under control and keep your thoughts centered on the present. When you do this, you’ll gain the ability to release the feelings that are causing you to feel stress.
By learning how to control your mind while you’re exercising, you’ll be benefiting yourself physically and mentally. You’ll need to keep your mind focused as you’re walking or running.
When you keep your mind focused, it turns off that inner noise that can make you feel unsettled. Once your mind is quieted, you’ll be able to hear your body as you’re exercising.
A lot of people think that exercising for fitness and stress relief is all about the body. They believe that it’s up to the muscles to find the right rhythm, but that’s not the case. There’s a strong body and mind connection that you tap into when you practice mindfulness.
This connection helps you be more relaxed as you move. It allows you to observe your atmosphere and gain a greater amount of energy. Your mind is the momentum that your body needs to get in motion.
It’s also the tool that can make your exercising healthier for you when you practice mindfulness. As you walk or run, focus on what’s going on in your body. Feel the sensations of the surface against the bottom of your shoe.
Pay attention to the position of your spine and the way your arms are moving. Get in tune with the motion of your body. When you practice mindfulness, you’ll learn how to breathe so that your body is able to get more oxygen which will help you on your walk or run.
As you move, focus your inhaling and exhaling by timing them along with your steps. You should be able to sync your breathing with your walking or running tempo. When you do this, you’ll increase your energy and be more relaxed because deep breathing has a calming effect on the emotions and the muscles.
Mindfulness lets you tune in to your body as you move. You’ll learn how to move and change the way that you move to induce a better run or walk. If you’re huffing and wheezing as you move, that’s a sign that you’re not in tempo with your breathing and it needs to be lined up.
When you keep your focus where it needs to be as you move, you’ll discover that your mind doesn’t become clouded with negative thoughts. You’ll be able to end your walk or run – not just full of energy – but calmer and happier, too.
