How does meditation benefit your brain and body? For starters, it can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as help improve overall mood. It’s also been shown to strengthen attention and focus, reduce stress, and even shrink the parts of the brain responsible for generating self-conscious feelings like guilt or embarrassment (1). Plus, research has shown that meditating regularly can reduce your risk of chronic pain, lower your blood pressure, lower your cholesterol levels (2), and even help you live longer (3). Read on to learn more about how meditation can benefit your medical health!
Reduces stress
Meditation has been proven to have a positive effect on stress. Athletes who meditate regularly seem to be able to quickly reduce their stress levels after competitions or before big games, which leads them to perform better than those who don’t meditate.
Improves sleep
One of meditation’s biggest benefits is for your sleeping habits. If you have trouble falling asleep, meditation can help. Science suggests that mindfulness and guided meditations can help you fall asleep faster by relaxing your muscles and clearing your mind. No counting sheep required! For those with insomnia, research shows that mindfulness-based therapies can improve sleep quality, duration, and self-reported sleepiness to reduce daytime fatigue.
Improves heart health
Meditation can reduce blood pressure and lower your resting heart rate, which is especially important for athletes. Meditation improves blood flow to muscles and increases their ability to use oxygen more efficiently—which means better performance. Additionally, meditation has been proven to help with atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, even myocardial infarction (or heart attack).
Improves mental health
Meditation has been shown to improve stress levels and quality of life for patients dealing with chronic pain. In a study at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, researchers found that participants who participated in an eight-week mindfulness meditation program had lower perceived stress and increased mindfulness when compared to a control group. These findings were corroborated by lower stress hormone levels. Meditation can also help you sleep better, which is important for your overall health because it affects physical recovery as well as mental well-being. Meditation slows down brain activity, putting us into a state of restful alertness that allows our body to relax and rejuvenate itself.
Can improve athletic performance
While you’re probably already aware that meditation can help calm your mind and improve your mental health, you may not be aware that it can also benefit your physical health. Several studies have shown that meditation benefits both athletic performance and overall body health. If you’re a serious athlete, or even if you exercise regularly, meditation is worth adding to your workout routine.