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Exercise and mindfulness: can participating in endurance sport improve our mental health as well as our physical fitness?

25 May 2018

In the warmer, dryer months around summer, many of us will challenge ourselves physically with a bike ride, running race or swimming event.

are now accepted as part of having good overall physical health, but can the practice of endurance sport also be specifically good for our minds?

Exercise and the mind

Endurance cyclist Rod Dalitz shares his ideas on physical activity and a meditative state.

Going the distance

The practice of mindfulness, or meditation, like clear thinking, a removal of stress and resilience to pressure in our lives.

Many of us feel ‘clear-headed’ after a walk, run or ride — so can longer, faster, harder be better for us if we take a mindful approach?

Been there, done that?

Endurance activity has been said to ‘work the mind’s state’ and has undertaken all around the world for many years by people like:-

  • They perform ritual whirling to enter a religious meditative state
  • They have a practice called kaih艒gy艒 in which they circle a holy mountain, covering epic ultra-distance marathon distances as part of their quest for enlightenment
  • They were said to be able to run for 48 hours and covers distance of 200 miles

Mindful snowboarding

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