How To Benefit From Mindfulness To Become ABetter Runner
Finding peace and enhancing your state of well-being
Contrary to popular belief, mindfulness isn’t just sitting cross legged and wishing your thoughts away. In fact, it’s the complete opposite.
Instead, it’s being fully aware of your thoughts but not attaching any judgments to them. It’s recognizing what is happening in the moment and bringing your attention back to that one thing in order to stay completely and utterly present in the now.
Observing your current state of being.
There are many ways in which you can enhance your mindfulness practice. One of the most potent ways I’ve found is through some form of movement.
Swimming, biking, even walking. Think about where you feel most free and at ease. Getting outdoors and in nature can also significantly enhance the experience.
My favorite form of mindful movement is through running. I’ve found that it’s a great way to tap into this state because it’s a rhythmic activity. You can get completely lost in the moment through the repetition of motion. It’s unlike anything else.
Applying mindfulness while running allows me to fully tap into my body and mind achieving more mental clarity throughout the activity I am engaged with. Just like a consistent meditation practice, it can also have a noticeable spillover effect to the rest of your life.
What is Mindful Running?
According to Olympic 400 meter hurdler Anna Cockrell: “I’ve always thought about it as that time to quiet down and be in your environment fully, not actively trying to pursue thoughts, just letting things flow over you.”
We’ve all heard people say that running is a form of moving meditation, and for good reason. On the best runs, there’s a sense of flow, where you naturally tune out external distractions and enter a state of ease. It almost becomes effortless all the while creating a condition where you are more intimately aware of yourself.
…And then there are those times when running is just a slog. You struggle to find a comfortable pace. Your breathing pattern is off. Your hip (knee, ankle, fill in the blank) creaks. Your thoughts go anywhere but where you actually are. And on it goes until the moment that you realize you’re finally done — and yet can barely recall anything you experienced along the way.
No matter what type of run you find yourself in, mindful running is consciously employing the tools of meditation and mindfulness practice to the physical activity of running.
When you pair mindfulness and running, you weave an array of benefits for your mental and emotional well-being into your physical fitness.
As any real runner knows, running can be a naturally meditative endeavor. Through the kinetic experience of limbs, muscles, joints, and breath working in sync to the rhythm of an efficient stride, on the best runs, you feel effortless, integrated in body and mind, and fully awake in the present moment.
Running with mindfulness means actively engaging your senses and directing your attention to fully immerse yourself in your run, noticing what’s happening inside your body and outside in the environment around you, and meeting it all — effortless stride, tired legs, and passing scenery alike — with curiosity and acceptance.
The result is a greater feeling of ease and relaxation on your run and a heightened sense of awareness of your body and your environment.
Like any type of mindfulness or meditation practice, mindful movement like running is an effective way to build your capacity for staying present. It also has far-reaching implications for your mental, emotional and even spiritual health.
It can also make you a better runner.
Here are some ways pairing a physical activity like running with mindfulness supports your body, mind and overall well being:
Reduced Stress
Running, or any form of aerobic exercise, can remarkably upgrade your spirit.
Studies show that the stimulation induces a sense of calm and counters depressive and anxious states. Through running, you are actively reducing cortisol levels — the hormone responsible for stress — and stimulating a cascading effect of feel good chemicals like endorphins, dopamine and BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor) that serve as the body’s natural painkillers and mood elevators.
Endorphins are responsible for the “runner’s high” and for the feelings of relaxation and optimism that accompany many hard workouts.
Improved Body Awareness
The physical act of running immediately promotes increased body awareness.
As you stride and feet hit the ground, there is an instant feedback loop that enhances the mind body connection. Over time, you become more in tune with what is going on around you and enhance your proprioception — where your body feels itself in space and time.
Improved Brain Function
Running can build brain power.
A recent study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that regular running increased the size of the hippocampus — the region of the brain responsible for learning and memory.
Aerobic activity alone also promotes BDNF which is very important for the health of brain neurons survival and growth, serves as a neurotransmitter modulator, and participates in neuronal plasticity. Some experts refer to it as “miracle grow for the brain.”
Executive Function
Running may stimulate the prefrontal cortex more broadly to benefit mood and executive function when compared to other forms of exercise that do not require as much coordination of weight-bearing activity, such as cycling, rowing or walking.
Better Outlook
I’ve never returned from a run and regretted it. I always feel restored, invigorated and deep sense of accomplishment. The more consistently I engage in a running routine, the more positive I notice my outlook on life.
Everything becomes more clear. I am unbothered by the small stresses of everyday life. The lens in which I view the world becomes a little brighter. It’s like applying a filter to how you view life.
Improved Connections
Running is all about connection.
Connections with the environment, the community you live in, your body and mind. Connections to the sport and even other runners that can serve as a positive social outlet.
Understand all of these connections play a part. You may feel a stronger connection to one area from one run to the next. With mindful running we further strengthen these connections that serve us allowing us to be more in tune with our bodies and surroundings.
How to get started with Mindful Running
Traditional practices of mindfulness involve breathing techniques, guided imagery and sound baths. You can apply all these different techniques for what works for you but here are my best suggestions:
Body Scan / Form Check
Our natural inclination while running is to force things, to tighten up and really push through.
If you observe someone running, this feeling can be written all throughout their form: shrugged shoulders, tightened fists, a furrowed brow or hard-charging facial expression. Heavy mouth breathing and gasping for air.
In reality, it’s much easier to slow down, ease up and focus on breathing through your nose to help calm your nervous system. It’s something that Olympic athletes do to maintain fluidity of movement and still compete at a high level.
Try focusing on your cadence, breathing, and how your foot is striking and landing under your center of mass. Slight forward lean, leading with your chin. Arms swinging forward and back, not across your body. Focusing on your form like this is also a great way to improve overall running economy and technique.
Deep Breathing
Sports psychologists recommend engaging in deep (diaphragmatic) breathing to tune in before your run.
This will aid in engaging the parasympathetic nervous system to help you stay relaxed and connected to your body. Take a moment to express some gratitude for your lungs, heart and body that is capable of supporting you throughout the upcoming activity.
Start at a slower pace you normally would in order to establish a breathing pattern you can sustain. Breathing through your nose will help you keep a steady pace and prevent you from getting ahead of yourself and picking up the pace too quickly. Then, tune into the physical sensations you begin to feel and keep your form in check.
Find Your “Anchor”
Rest attention loosely on an anchor such as the rhythmic cadence of your foot strike, or the crisp air hitting your lungs as you inhale. If you become distracted, remember you are in a judgement free zone, so just make note of it and return your attention to your anchor.
You can keep your awareness on one anchor for your entire running meditation or move it to a different anchor.
If you begin with noticing your breathing, for example, you might then become aware of your hands — how you’re holding them, any sensation, if they feel loose or tight — and then onto any sounds in your environment, and so on. Any time your attention wanders, just notice, and bring it back to one of your anchors.
If you’re running outdoors, allow yourself to become aware of things like how fresh air feels on your face. Listen for any sounds, such as birdsong or the howling of the wind. Notice how sunlight filters through the trees. Take in the full measure of the natural world around you.
Final Thoughts
Mindful Running ultimately boils down to intention and purpose. When you add mindfulness to your runs, you increase body awareness, build your capacity to be present, and create the conditions for flow to occur. Exploring this way of movement is also a great tool to release physical and mental tension you may be carrying with you.
Too many of us race through our runs or training just to get to the next thing in our busy lives. Instead, try slowing down and implementing at least one mindful run into your week. You’ll feel the difference and be doing yourself a big favor.
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