Let’s begin with a definition of mindful exercise. Mindful exercise can be defined as any exercise, be it walking, running, using the elliptical, stretching, soccer, biking etc., that treats the activity itself as a practice in being fully awake to the present moment.

Not only does mindful exercise help focus your workout and relive any stress you  have been carrying during the day, research shows that it can have great health benefits as well. The New York Times found that it is actually healthier to think of all of your day-to-day activity as exercise in this article.

So what can you do this week to get some benefits of mindful exercise for yourself?

Check Out These Sunup to Sundown Suggestions to Get Rolling:

Take a Morning Walk

The summer heat can make walking outside tough, but if you do it early enough you get several bonuses. The first is that eating shortly after breakfast boosts your metabolism and helps you burn calories faster throughout the day. The second is that a mindful morning walk helps you prioritize, get a clear head before diving into work, and set a strong pace for the rest of your day.

Do Core Work at Your Desk

Set up a reminder in your calendar to check your posture mid-afternoon. Then, dedicate 15-30 minutes to sitting up as straight as you can. This is not only a great workout for your core and shoulders; assuming an upright, dignified posture increases blood and air flow, helps focus your thoughts on your body and the present moment, and forces you to regroup and get in the zone.

Hit the Gym Before Dinner

For those of you with a gym membership, mindfulness is a fantastic way to turn a regular workout into a very cool and entertaining experience. If you are an Aikens Approach member, you can use the new podcast to assist with this. If not, try going to the gym today and approach the entire experience as a practice in being present. First focus on the physical sensation of your warm up, then move into awareness of your breathing and heart rate, last pay attention to the sights and sounds around you. Note your thoughts for what they are, and work on returning your focus to physical sensation, sights and sounds. Earn your dinner tonight!

Stretch Under the Stars

This might sound a little out-there, but stretching before bed is linked with sounder sleep and reduced rates of insomnia.  If you practice yoga, move your matt outside and take advantage of the beautiful night weather. If you haven’t done yoga before, simple stretching is just fine too! Remember to use the stretches as a way to be mindful of the moment, your body and any thoughts you might have. Don’t push past your limits, and try to hold each stretch for at least 20 seconds. Who knows, you might even see a meteorite!

As a wrap up, in the coming weeks we challenge you to exercise mindfully at least three times. In order to stay consistent, you may also find it helpful to journal your exercise activity for the month, reflecting on all the new things you may notice. And now we leave you with a small story from Dr. Kim Aikens and her own experience with mindful exercise:

“I am, at best, slogging slowly up a modest hill. A passing motorist, noticing my obvious distress, slows down to ask if I’m all right. What would happen, I wonder, if I turned my painful run into an outright meditation? Recovering my breath, I turn off my music and start paying attention. I start with my breath, listening to the lull of the rhythmic sound. I struggle to maintain my focus, returning to my breath when my mind drifts away. And as I run, I open my awareness to the sounds that surround me. Above the flow of my breath, the waves hit a rocky beach, broken by the intermittent cries of birds as they circle and swoop from above. A small hill looms before me and the aching pain in my legs once again draws my attention. I explore the sensation now with curiosity, not trying to avoid or change it. And as I climb, I listen to the slow steady sound of my feet as they strike solid ground. I am suddenly cognizant of how little I noticed while running when my music was playing. Has this running meditation made me anymore comfortable? Well, to be honest, not exactly. But it is has become a much richer experience, one in which I am aware of the world around me.”