Overcoming anxiety with mindful exercise

Anxiety can be a debilitating condition to deal with. It can make simple everyday tasks feel impossible. It can lead to broken relationships and problems with your career. Anxiety is nothing to be ashamed of. And don’t worry! There are plenty of ways you can take steps to minimize its hold over you.

This article is all about introducing mindfulness into your fitness routine to combat anxiety. Most people know that exercise often results in an improvement in your mood and attitude. And you’ve probably also heard about meditation as a way of reducing anxiety. So why not combine the two?

Why it’s a great idea to be mindful in movement

You’re probably thinking that mindful movement means yoga. While yoga is a version of mindful movement, it is possible to introduce mindfulness into any exercise regime.

By using mindfulness while you’re exercising, you will teach the body and mind to work together and to connect. This connection, with practice, will last throughout your entire day. Each and every move you make physically will have a purpose and an intention behind it.

By finding a mind-body connection in your daily life, your symptoms of anxiety will feel more manageable and might disappear altogether.

How do I use mindfulness while I’m exercising?

Start by trying a few mindful meditations online. Most of these guided meditations will ask you to scan your body or to put your focus into certain areas of the body. Then introduce these concepts and practices into your fitness routine.

For example, if you’re a runner, place your awareness of the feeling of your feet on the ground, the breath coming in and going out, and the feeling of the air on the arms as move.

Or, if you prefer weight training at the gym, place your focus on your feet grounding into the floor, the muscles in the legs changing shape and the sweat dripping down your brow.

By transforming your fitness routine into meditation, you will leave your workout feeling calm, refreshed and centered. Over time, your anxiety should become more manageable.

Mindfulness helps you to regulate your mind. You will feel that you have more control over the mind. When it starts to race or worries set in, you’ll be more prepared to combat the mind’s negativity.

Final thoughts

Incorporating mindfulness into your fitness routine will have remarkable effects on your anxiety, but it will also improve your relationship with exercise in general. For many people, exercise feels like a chore – something that must be done for your overall health.

By readjusting the way you approach exercise and adding the mindfulness layer, exercise will become a break from the daily grind. It will become a place to relax mentally while you work physically.

For more ideas on natural ways of combating anxiety, try this amazing blog: Nature Tricks Online. Here, you’ll find plenty of incredible posts on fitness, health, and beauty.

Good luck with your mindful movements and your journey to an anxiety-free life!