A Mindful Moment in 30-60 Minutes: Exercise

This is my favourite mindfulness moment!

I love running, walking, and weight training.  But how do you make exercise mindful? 

I recommend using the natural rhythm of the exercise to create mindfulness. Find a rhythm that you can count.

If you are running or walking, you can count 10 or 20 steps.  Then start over for another 10 or 20 steps.  Continue this for the duration. 

At the gym you can count a tempo for each exercise.  For example, count one second for the contraction, one second for a hold, and three seconds for the release.  Count to this tempo for each exercise.  Then move to the next exercise and start counting again. 

If you are swimming you can count the number of strokes or breaths you take.

Whatever form of exercise you choose, find the natural rhythm and use counting as a method of relaxing your mind.

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