How meditation and HIIT work together

Imagine, watching a film on fast forward mode for one second and in ultra-slow motion, for the very next moment. That’s how we can compare a High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), which is a quick and intense workout, against mediation, which slows down your entire system. When combined, this can be the ideal combination to restore your physical, mental and spiritual health.

Fitness enthusiasts now have started giving importance to mental endurance in addition to physical fitness. The physical strength to go one more rep or one more lap stems from a strong mental state to strive for more.

Meditation is often associated with sitting in a quiet room rather than an intense, loud environment where the heart rate is revving high with bursts of movement. However, during tougher phases of the workout, you need high level of concentration which is attained by being in a meditative space.

The participants should bring themselves to that space before starting the workout by meditating for 10-15 minutes. By doing so, they will have more energy and mindfulness throughout the workout and would leave feeling refreshed.

HERE’S WHAT MEDITATION BRINGS TO HIIT WORKOUT

Before starting your HIIT workout, it is good to spread an aura of positivity. This helps in increasing your focus and improves the output of your workout. Using meditation as a tool, you can use various breathing patterns along with positive affirmations to get started. These also help in strengthening your mind and being a calming influence on the highly active HIIT workout ahead.

So how are the two mutually beneficial?

CONSISTENCY PERSONIFIED

HIIT combined with meditation, helps you experience a balance of consistent focus and increases your endurance levels like never before.

BALANCE IS THE KEY

Have you ever done workouts like weighted squats, lunges or butt kicks and have almost fallen over? Improving your balance doesn’t only reduce the risk of getting injured it also helps you keep up your concentration during an HIIT session. Meditation helps strengthens your core which in turn gives you better balance.

HOW HIIT HELPS MEDITATION

The health benefits of HIIT can actually make your meditation better. HIIT has multiple health benefits (helps control hypertension, prevents diabetes, releases endorphins, to name a few), which in turn can lead to a better meditative state.

Anyone who is engaged in HIIT or for that matter any physical activity knows the importance of staying injury free. A twisted ankle, a torn ligament can stall your progress for days or even weeks. Meditation helps improve your concentration, so your chances of injuries reduce, and you can work out for longer period.

LOSE WEIGHT, GAIN HEALTH

Don’t we all want to lose weight and keep ourselves fit? HIIT is a very powerful exercise to burn plenty of calories in a short span of time. While, meditation can make you self- aware about your eating and lifestyle patterns.

HIIT THE RIGHT FOCUS

In our busy lifestyles, our mind tends to wander and lose focus. That’s the time meditation comes to the rescue by making us self-aware and helps us understand our areas of strengths and scope for improvements. Also, it helps you to focus on one task at a time. So a HIIT session with meditation, enhances you focus and concentration on every exercise or repetition.