With all of the stress and anxiety brought on by the pandemic the last few years, focusing on your physical health with exercise may not be enough to keep you feeling levelheaded. Our mental and spiritual health need nourishing as well, which is where the mind-body connection comes into play.
According to the Florida Medical Clinic, the mind-body connection is the link between a person’s thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors and their physical health. Basically, how you think and feel goes beyond your brain and impacts your entire body, so the mind-body connection is an essential part of holistic wellness.
While many forms of exercise can enhance this connection, some are better known for their impact on the mind, body and spirit. Keep reading to learn about three amazing exercise modalities that can strengthen the mind-body connection:
Yoga
The first type of exercise that often comes to mind when people think about the mind-body connection is yoga.
“Yoga is not only for the physical body, but exercise for the spiritual, emotional, and mental well-being of the practitioner,” said Tamara Teragawa, YogaSix XPRO for Xponential+. “The practice of yoga is to help the individual achieve optimal wellness and unity as a whole and develop a healthy relationship with themselves and the world around them.”
In yoga classes, like the ones you can take on Xponential+, instructors will often encourage you to listen to your body and think about how certain poses make you feel. Sometimes, yoga classes will also involve the reciting of empowering mantras like “I am strong” or “I am enough” to nourish your soul beyond the physical body.
“This form of exercise helps to develop a special and healthy mindset without you even realizing it all the time and can truly be translated in every aspect of your life,” said Teragawa. “Yoga helps to develop a lifestyle beyond just a physical practice, making room for a happier and healthier life overall.”
Pilates
Pilates is a mind-body practice that can be done on the mat or by utilizing specialized equipment such as the Reformer. It is a system of exercises designed to lengthen, strengthen, and balance out the body while also being gentle on the joints and muscles.
“Because you have to focus on small, precise movements and your breath, as well as listen intently to the instructor’s guidance, Pilates can really help you develop mind-body awareness,” said Brittni Johnson, Club Pilates XPRO for Xponential+.
This focused practice can benefit you greatly in other areas of life whether you are playing sports, lifting weights, sitting at a desk all day, carrying groceries, out hiking, running, or getting ready to present to your colleagues. The mind-body connection gained from Pilates goes a long way!
Indoor Cycling
Lesser known for its impact on the mind-body connection but often equally as effective in strengthening it is indoor cycling. Indoor cycling workouts are energetic and immersive with adrenaline-pumping music, colorful lights, and motivational cues from your instructor that help turn your focus inward.
“Indoor cycling is the best workout to do when you want to get lost in the music and sweat,” said Mindy Sartori, CycleBar XPRO for Xponential+. “We get so bogged down by all kinds of stressors in our daily lives and a 45-minute cycling class is the perfect way to drown all of that out and reconnect with your mind and body.”
With indoor cycling, there aren’t tons of complex movement patterns, so you can simply put one foot in front of the other and focus on how you’re feeling.
