MAP Training My Brain™: Meditation Plus Aerobic Exercise Lessens Trauma of Sexual Violence More Than Either Activity Alone
Frontiers in Neuroscience April 23, 2018 T. Shors, H. Y. Chang, Emma M. Millon
A combination of meditation and aerobic exercise, called MAP Training My Brain™, reduces trauma-related thoughts and rumination in women with a history of sexual violence, while meditation alone or exercise alone did not. The training also enhanced self-worth. Each session includes 20 minutes of sitting meditation, 10 minutes of slow-walking meditation, and 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at 60–80% of maximum heart rate. Among 105 women (32 with a history of sexual violence), those who completed two sessions per week for at least six weeks showed significant reductions in post-traumatic cognitions and ruminative thoughts only when both activities were combined, indicating a synergistic effect.