The Effect of a Brief-Mindfulness Intervention on Psychophysiological Exertion and Flow-State Among Sedentary Adults.
Perceptual and Motor Skills June 1, 2021 DOI: 10.1177/0031512520984422 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Within-subjects experimental design Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 42 |
| Population | Healthy but sedentary young adults |
| Intervention | Mindfulness training |
| Dose | 15-minute audio engagement |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Exercise Flow Physical activity |
| Citations | 15 |
| Key findings | A brief mindfulness intervention led to more accurate ratings of perceived exertion and increased absorption in the exercise task among sedentary young adults. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-acceptance commitment interventions in sport and exercise contexts have been helpful to increasing a positive psycho-physiological state among competitive athletes and recreational exercise participants. In the current study, we sought to extend research in this area by identifying the effect of a brief-mindfulness intervention on psychophysiological functioning among healthy but sedentary young adults. Our mixed gender sample (n = 42) of inactive individuals performed a brief cycling task without training (control condition) followed by task completion with brief mindfulness training (15-minute audio engagement with mindfulness techniques and specific present moment 'anchors'). We found that participants self-reported more accurate ratings of perceived exertion (i.e., self-ratings better matched actual physiological indices of exertion) following the mindfulness intervention, suggesting that mindfulness techniques can increase bodily awareness. Better body awareness may be useful to helping sedentary participants appreciate physiological changes experienced through exercise. The mindfulness manipulation also increased participants' absorption into the activity, suggesting greater attentiveness to the exercise task with less distraction from irrelevant external and internal cues. In sum, mindfulness may be a complementary psychological training tool for inactive, sedentary young adults attempting to re-engage with exercise. We provide recommendations for future research.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Psycho-yogic training and its effects on the psychological well-being of underperforming female athletes. Journal of bodywork and movement therapies December 1, 2025
- Do brief mindfulness-based interventions improve sport-related performance? A systematic review Frontiers in Public Health February 5, 2026
- Unlocking Flow Through Mindfulness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. The Journal of Psychology 2026
- Effects of an acute Mindfulness-based intervention on exercise tolerance, maximal strength, pain and effort-related experiences in individuals with primary chronic low back pain: a pilot study Movement & Sport Sciences - Science & Motricité 2023
- Effects of mindful physical activity on perceived exercise exertion and other physiological and psychological responses: results from a within-subjects, counter-balanced study. Frontiers in Psychology 2023
Cites 4
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mindfulness and Affective Responses to Treadmill Walking in Individuals with Low Intrinsic Motivation to Exercise International journal of exercise science 2018
- Associations between attention, affect and cardiac activity in a single yoga session for female cancer survivors: an enactive neurophenomenology-based approach. Consciousness and Cognition July 1, 2014
- Mindfulness training modifies subsystems of attention. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience June 2007