Meditation is better than exercise for your mental health, both in terms of maintaining a healthy weight and just feeling good.
A recent study has confirmed that people who meditate are more likely to have healthier body weight, can maintain that weight easier, and are less prone to diabetes.
The bodily benefits don’t stop there – research has also shown that in addition to its mental health benefits, regular meditation can reduce inflammation levels in the body, which is associated with all sorts of chronic illnesses like heart disease and cancer.
This article will dive into the physical benefits of meditation! Please continue reading!
Boosts immune functions
One of the major benefits of meditation is boosting the immune functions of your health because it reduces the production of the stress hormone cortisol.
Excessive levels of this hormone can cause reduced activity in your immune system, which leaves you susceptible to sickness and disease.
Meditation also helps to reduce inflammation, which keeps your body’s response balanced at all times.
Reduces of stress levels
By reducing stress levels it becomes easier for us to deal with daily life, no matter how stressful it is!
This helps the mental state when we’re stressed out about things that are happening in our day-to-day lives. It’s very hard not to slip into negative thinking patterns.
This leads to increased anxiety, depression, and even physical illness if allowed to fester long enough. Meditation has been shown overtime to calm the part of the brain that processes fear, helping people to deal with negative emotions in a healthier way.
The more positive your outlook on life is, the less stress you’ll have!
Increases flow of blood
The practise of meditation also brings about an increase in blood flow to key muscle groups, specifically those used when you are running or lifting weights. This helps improve circulation and metabolism.
Meditation also stimulates bone formation by encouraging osteoblasts (bone-building cells) to multiply and survive longer than people who don’t meditate.
Boosts metabolism
The boost in metabolism that comes with exercise also occurs if you meditate! This is done through the same muscle movement as described above, and this helps shed fat cells to be burned off for energy.
It does so without the risk of doing too much damage to your muscles. This method of weight loss can be considered a ‘highway’ for fats and cholesterol because it allows them to leave the body easily and safely.
Alleviates symptoms of mental health disorders
Meditation has been shown time and time again to be an amazingly effective way of managing symptoms of mental health disorders like depression and anxiety.
It doesn’t make them disappear, but it does allow people who suffer from these conditions to function normally through times when they would otherwise feel helpless
Meditation has also been shown to boost moods in general, making the whole workout at the gym even more worth it!
Activates frontal lobe functions
The prefrontal cortex is a part of your brain that plays a role in regulating emotions.
Meditation activates this portion of the brain, allowing for better emotional control. Because negative thinking can lead to poor behavior choices and ultimately bad habits, controlling these heightened emotions are extremely beneficial!
Works with other forms of exercise
The amazing benefits of meditation synergize with other forms of exercise to improve your mood and fitness even further.
When you meditate, it allows you to use up all that pent-up energy to focus on what’s going on inside your body and mind rather than the chaos around you!
When this happens, you can utilize all those negative emotions as positive energy because there is no longer a barrier between them and the rest of your personality!
Creates a better self-perception of body
People who usually meditate have better perceptions of their own bodies, which leads to better self-esteem. This is because they are able to attain whatever physique they want without beating themselves up for not being ‘perfect.
Do not hesitate to reach out to your activewear manufacturer for advice! The concept of a perfect body and physique is a myth and can be dismissed with proper guidance.
Working out to maintain a certain weight or appearance is really unhealthy! There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look your best, but it shouldn’t cause you stress and anxiety over what the scale says every week!
Allows you to relax more easily during workouts
There is something about meditation that’s very effective at helping people to let go of all thoughts that don’t benefit them.
You won’t be thinking about how much weight you need to lose, or how many calories are in the chicken sandwich you had for lunch today after meditation.
Turns frustration into fuel for success
One of the most amazing things about meditation is how well it turns “negative” energies into positive ones. The more we deal with stressors in life, whether they’re physical or mental, the easier it becomes for us to see beyond them.
This allows us to find the silver lining in situations that would otherwise be seen as negative!
By meditating, we’re better able to focus our energy on what’s truly important, dismiss stress and fear, and keep moving forward.
When you learn how to control these fears, it makes other forms of exercise easier!