Examining mindfulness as a strategy to improve the exercise experience

Area of Science:

• Exercise Psychology
• Mindfulness and Well-being

Background:

• Positive affective responses are crucial for sustained exercise engagement.
• Mindfulness and music are strategies to improve exercise-related feelings.
• Previous mindfulness research often occurs in laboratory settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of listening to a mindfulness recording during an outdoor walk.
• To examine if mindfulness enhances affective responses and attentional focus during exercise.
• To compare mindfulness intervention against a control condition in a naturalistic setting.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-four participants completed a 1.5-mile self-paced outdoor walk.
• Participants were divided into a mindfulness recording group and a control group.
• Affective responses were measured using the Feeling Scale and enjoyment via the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale.

Main Results:

• The mindfulness group reported significantly greater pleasure during exercise (p < .001).
• The mindfulness group showed significantly higher enjoyment scores (p < .001).
• No significant differences in attentional focus were found between the groups (p = .120).

Conclusions:

• Mindfulness recordings can enhance pleasure and enjoyment during low-to-moderate intensity outdoor exercise.
• This approach offers a practical strategy to improve the subjective experience of physical activity.
• Findings support the use of mindfulness to foster continued exercise engagement.