Mental and physical training with meditation and aerobic exercise improved mental health and well-being in teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience August 23, 2022 Docia Demmin, Steven M. Silverstein, Tracey J. Shors 22 citations
A 6-week virtual program combining meditation with aerobic exercise, called Mental and Physical (MAP) Training, reduced anxiety and work-related stress in K-12 teachers compared to a no-training control group. Participants in the MAP Training group also reported improvements in depressive symptoms, rumination, work-related quality of life, perceived stress, self-compassion, executive functioning, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and fewer sleep disturbances. No changes were observed in the no-training group. The results suggest that virtual MAP Training is an effective intervention for improving mental health and well-being among teachers and may enhance resilience to stressful events like the COVID-19 pandemic.