I love the idea of practicing meditation and mindfulness. I appreciate the physical and mental benefits of focusing the mind and breath to calm all of those hamster-wheel thoughts that wake me nightly at 3 am. Meditation shares many of the same health benefits as exercise. According to the National Institutes of Health, meditation increases calmness, helps you relax, provides psychological balance, and improves overall health and wellness. Meditation can help you cope with pain and even strengthen parts of the brain. That said, I never meditate. I barely find enough time for exercise, and adding another 10-20 minutes for mediation seems a bridge too far. The few times I’ve…
Five Ways Exercise Makes Me a Better Human
Everyone knows that exercise is good for you. It builds bone density, helps maintain muscle mass, burns fat, and facilitates the release of endorphins, the good-mood brain chemical. We do it because we know it’s good for our bodies, like eating fruits and vegetables. Yet, it’s easy for exercise to become another “must do” transaction in our daily lives — something we squeeze into our already-packed schedules. Speaking for myself, trying to get in a daily dose of fitness can stress me out. If I prioritize other tasks or simply slack off because I’m tired, then I feel guilty for missing a workout. And sometimes I just dread it. I…
