PE augmented mindfulness: A neurocognitive framework for research and future healthcare
David Sars
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience August 23, 2022 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.899988 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Proposes that consistently practicing physical exercise before meditation can support early-stage mindfulness and may help address patient drop-out in mindfulness programs, because exercise and mindfulness appear to influence overlapping stress-regulation pathways involving cognitive control. Argues that further research is needed to chart the dose responses required for protocol development. |
Abstract
Various well-controlled studies have suggested that practitioners in mindfulness can be prone to patient drop-out (e.g., due to chronic stress, pathology, cognitive reactivity), despite researchers having identified the underlying mechanisms that link mindfulness to mental health. In this article, a framework for physical exercise (PE) augmented mindfulness is proposed, which posits that consistently practiced PE before meditation can support (early-stage) mindfulness. Neurocognitive research shows PE (aerobic exercises or yoga) and mindfulness to impact similar pathways of stress regulation that involve cognitive control and stress regulation, thereby supporting the proposed synergistic potential of PE augmented mindfulness. Research focused on the psychophysiological impact of PE, showed its practice to promote short-term neurocognitive changes that can promote both cognitive control and the attainment of mindful awareness (MA). In order to chart dose responses required for protocol development, further research will be presented. Together these findings are discussed in light of future research on this multidisciplinary topic, protocol development, mindful walking, and further application in healthcare and beyond.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
Cites 27
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: A New Approach to Preventing Relapse Psychotherapy Research March 1, 2003
- How Does Mindfulness Training Affect Health? A Mindfulness Stress Buffering Account Current Directions in Psychological Science December 1, 2014
- Effects of Meditation Experience on Functional Connectivity of Distributed Brain Networks Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
- Mindful attention reduces neural and self-reported cue-induced craving in smokers Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience November 22, 2011
and 22 more in the library