Is training your mind just as important as training your body? Many of us have a warmup routine that helps us get ready for exercise or a game. Before I go running, I like to do some yoga poses as well as a short dynamic warmup with moves like jumping jacks and high knees.
Recently, researchers explored whether mental training and mindfulness can improve running performance. Let’s delve into the new research.
The study
In a study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers incorporated mindfulness training, which refers to a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy designed to promote awareness and acceptance of the current physical experience. The therapy helps athletes reduce stress levels and often involves deep-breathing exercises, journaling, yoga, and meditation.
The study methods
In this interesting study, 65 trained runners were split into a ‘mindfulness intervention group’ and a ‘control group.’
The mindfulness group
Those in the ‘mindfulness intervention group’ participated in an eight-week brief mindfulness meditation or BMM, where they completed guided exercises before, during, and after their training sessions. The mindfulness group attended three weekly in-person mindfulness sessions, and they were also offered additional practice via videoconference or audio files twice a week.
The control group
Those in the control group took part in three weekly information sessions covering running-related topics, such as the effectiveness of running in shoes with carbon plates.
The results
The researchers concluded the following:
- The control group experienced a decline in cardiorespiratory fitness, likely due to the increased training load and fatigue.
- The mindfulness intervention group maintained stable performances.
The researchers suggested that mindfulness training could improve psychological resilience, focus, and adaptability, which helps to reduce those fatigue-related declines in performance. In other words, incorporating mindfulness training into their workout schedules helped them become more resilient to fatigue so they could maintain their current fitness levels over the eight-week study, even when increasing the training load.
The takeaway
This is a small study and more research is needed. What we can take away from this is that adding mindfulness training methods like journaling, deep breathing, yoga, and meditation could help you level up your running performance, especially if you’re ramping up your training.
Previous research also supports the efficacy of mindfulness training and meditation for maintaining and improving athletic performance. Research has also shown that mindfulness can improve mental health and overall well-being, so there are plenty of reasons to give it a try. Plus, I enjoy some quiet time to meditate, do some yoga stretches, connect with my thoughts, and calm and clear my mind. I think it’s more important than ever to prioritize mindfulness in our busy, digitalized, modern world.
