Originally written for The HLP App
Life can get quite busy.
You get through your to-do list and before you know it, the day is done and you haven’t had any time to exercise or de-compress.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to maintain your fitness levels whilst checking in with yourself in a meditative way, mindful jogging could be just what you’re after.
This article will explain the concept of mindfulness, why it works well with jogging, and how to give it a go.
If you want a good idea of what a mindful jog looks like, I’ve written a walkthrough that appears at the bottom of this page.
What is mindfulness?
Before we can learn to mindfully jog, we need to explore what being mindful actually means. Mindfulness is the act of being deliberately or consciously aware of something in order to help build better clarity in the present moment. Jon Kabat-Zin, founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, has this to say:
“Mindfulness is an awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally.”
It’s about listening to your body by listening to your senses. Try giving it a go now. What sounds can you hear? Is it quiet where you are? How do your clothes feel on your body? Do they feel soft? Warm? This is a process of grounding that can improve your awareness and appreciation for the thing you are currently doing.
If you want to learn more about mindfulness, head to the toolkit in the app – there’s plenty of guides and tips to get you started.
Let’s talk about how we can apply this to jogging.
Applying mindfulness to jogging
When I first came across the mindful jogging concept, my first thoughts were “how can you be quiet and thoughtful, connect your body and surroundings, whilst thumping your legs against the pavement and breathing heavily?”. If those were my first thoughts, it would be reasonable to assume that they might be yours, too. How can you apply mindfulness to jogging?
According to mindfulness and performance coach Chevy Rough, it’s about connecting with your movement, which will eliminate distraction. He says: “distraction can come in the form of other people, noise, technology, but it can also come in the form of cultural pressures. You know: ‘How fast do I have to go?’ ‘How far am I supposed to go?’ ‘What is the definition of a runner?”
These distractions can really put people off of running and fitness. I used to get bogged down and fixate on times, distance and technique. Once I started focusing on my breathing (thinking the words “IN” and “OUT” really help with this) and becoming more aware of my surroundings, these distractions slowly began to fall away, allowing me to find the joy of jogging, which really helped me maintain a regular fitness routine.
Benefits
Alongside the benefits of jogging, studies show that it helps with:
improving endurance
improving executive functioning
improving cognitive control
improving the quality of your sleep
limiting the negative effects of depression
In addition to this, you’re developing TWO skills, one physical and one mental. This can really help give you a confidence boost, and who doesn’t want that?
Let’s take a look at how you can get started.
Giving it a go
As mentioned previously, it’s all about your breathing. The goal is for your body to respond to the rhythm of your breathing. This won’t happen straight away, but you’ll eventually get to a point where it will without you noticing.
Listen to your body. If you feel like you could hold a steady conversation whilst running, then speed up a bit. If you’re coughing and spluttering, then ease off.
In the initial stages, your body will tell you that it DOES NOT LIKE jogging. This happens to absolutely everyone when they start running. The human brain hasn’t really changed in the last 40,000 years, and will look to preserve body fat as it still believes that we sleep in caves and go days without eating. Once you break through this initial barrier, your body will start sending you more positive signals.
To put it simply, open your door, be aware of your breathing and movements, make note of your surroundings, what you see, what you hear, how you feel, and take it all in.
Still not sure? I’ve detailed one of my mindful jogs below so you don’t have to.
Walkthrough
I went for a mindful jog this morning. Here’s how I did it.
I laid out my running clothes the night before to make it as easy as possible to get going in the morning
I made sure my clothes would keep me warm, as it is currently bloody freezing out there
I made sure to eat at a time where I’d have enough energy to run without feeling uncomfortably full. I took in the flavours of the granola and acknowledged that I was giving myself the energy to do something that would benefit me
I made sure I was hydrated. I slowly drank two cold glasses of water about half an hour before I went out. This was to make sure I had enough water in my system to finish the run without having to carry a water bottle with me. When my hands are free, I feel like I can concentrate more clearly on connecting with my surroundings and my breathing
This could be the most important step: I made sure to do all of my stretches. I spend 10 minutes making sure my leg muscles were ready for the run by gently moving, twisting, and pulling them out. I kept going until I met resistance, and I noticed a warmth come over me as I stopped. This is the epitome of paying attention to your body; Always. Do. Your. Stretches. Especially if you’re approaching 30 with dodgy knees like me
I opened the door and felt the cold air sweep over my face and body. It was uncomfortable for a second, but after stretching and warming up, it felt nice
I ran. I concentrated on my breathing. In through the nose, out through the mouth. On repeat. To help me, I listened to music with a steady, consistent beat
I noticed the glistening white frost that coated the grass of the park, and the black skeletal trees shrouded in mist in the distance
I felt the dew and the sweat forming on face counteracting the heat of my body
The steady beat of the drum moved in sync with my legs and my chest
When I finished, I allowed the endorphins to wash over my skin
I showered and fed myself, giving myself the warmth and energy to do it again tomorrow
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