How meditation could improve your fitness performance

Many are opting to use the practice of meditation to boost their fitness performance. Whether you hit the gym or like to run, spending a few minutes meditating can boost your physical strength in ways you couldn't imagine. "Sport is a mental game – more so in many ways than a physical one," Lindsay Shaffer, director of sport at Headspace, told a news portal. Adding, "Athletes (both amateur and professional) go to great lengths to train their bodies to get a competitive edge, but we often neglect the one thing that underlies everything we do: the mind." Some experts believe meditation and mindfulness techniques can help take you to the next level. "Athletes and coaches at the highest level – from Team GB to the NBA – are fast understanding that it is a tool to sharpen preparation, performance, and recovery," Shaffer told a news portal. Adding, "Athletes usually have honed physiques. But the fact is, if you’re not simultaneously training the mind as well as the body, you’re missing that winning edge. Meditation is strength training for the brain." Multiple studies have shown meditation to be an effective tool to help enhance energy levels. A study conducted by a team from the University of Waterloo found mindfulness meditation and a short session of Hatha yoga can help give your energy levels a boost and improve brain function. "Hatha yoga and mindfulness meditation both focus the brain's conscious processing power on a limited number of targets like breathing and posing, and also reduce processing of nonessential information," Peter Hall, an associate professor in the School of Public Health & Health Systems, told a news portal. Adding, "These two functions might have some positive carryover effect in the near- term following the session, such that people are able to focusmore easily on what they choose to attend to in everyday life." How can you get started to get these results? Here are a few tips you can try: * Commit to getting started: There is a misconception that you will only start to see results after months of meditating. But that is not true. Experts say meditating three minutes a day can make a huge difference. Give yourself time to get used to it, don't worry about getting it right. * Set manageable goals: You need to set an intention like wanting to run faster or feel stronger. Knowing what you want to achieve will help you stay on track. * Make it a habit: When learning a new skill you want to maintain for life, you need to practise it daily till it becomes a habit. Set a specific time to meditate daily. You can start with three minutes and build your way up. Take it slowly, but don't give up. Remember, everything takes time.