- Mental health is a critical component of well-being, and research is ongoing about how people can best support their mental wellness.
- Data shows that practicing mindfulness and exercising regularly can benefit mental health.
- Results from a recent review suggest that combining mindfulness with exercise may be most effective for improving psychological well-being.
The body and the mind impact each other, which means maintaining both physical and mental health is essential for a person’s overall well-being.
Researchers are still investigating the nuanced relationship between physical and mental health and interventions to help people optimize both.
A systematic review recently published in Mental Health and Physical Activity analyzed the results of 35 studies to look at the combined effects of mindfulness and exercise.
The results suggest that when combined, mindfulness and exercise might offer the most benefits for mental health.
However, more research is needed to understand the full effects of mindful exercise and what level of intervention is most effective.
Exercising may help prevent mental illness and help people manage certain mental health conditions. For example, exercise offers
Practicing mindfulness may also have particular benefits for mental well-being.
Mindfulness is a broad term, and these days, a buzzword, but the practice is rooted in traditions that date back thousands of years.
Renowned meditation expert Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, defines mindfulness as “The awareness that emerges by way of paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment.”
People can practice mindfulness using several methods, such as meditating or finding a specific time to focus on increasing their awareness.
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