We’ve Learned To Train Our Bodies, But Not Yet Our Minds

Are we in for a renaissance in mental training?

Neel Shakilov from Pixabay

Despite the fact that, on average, we burn fewer calories each day than 100 years ago, the science, methods, and effectiveness of physical exercise have drastically improved in that time.

We now understand the conclusive link between exercise and health. According to the WHO, regular exercise prevents chronic disease, reduces depression and anxiety, improves cognitive functioning, and uplifts overall well-being.

But we didn’t always know this. Sure, exercise wasn’t such a necessity in past centuries, given a more active lifestyle than in these sedentary times. But regardless, we didn’t know how good exercise really was.

And so, few trained. Power-lifters weren’t personal trainers; they traveled with the circus. You didn’t walk down the promenade and see fit, muscular bodies on an evening jog. Physical exercise, ubiquitous now, just wasn’t a big part of life.

Now, that’s changed. While not everyone trains, everyone knows that it’s good to train. Our ‘exercise consciousness’ has elevated.

But what of the mind?

There’s plenty of research supporting the fact that mental training reduces stress and anxiety, improves…