Comparative effects of meditation and exercise on physical and psychosocial health outcomes: a review of randomized controlled trials.
Meghan K. Edwards, Paul D Loprinzi
Postgraduate medicine March 2018 DOI: 10.1080/00325481.2018.1409049 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 325 |
| Population | Participants in five randomized controlled trials comparing non-active meditation with exercise |
| Interventions | Non-active meditation exercise |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Exercise Physical activity Randomized controlled trial |
| Key findings | Across five randomized trials (N=325), meditation was more effective than exercise for anxiety, altruism, life changes, chronic neck pain at rest, and pain-related bothersomeness, while exercise was more effective for physical health-related quality of life, HDL and LDL cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose. The interventions were comparable for well-being, ethanol consumption, and perceived stress. The authors conclude that exercise and non-active meditation may uniquely influence various health-related outcomes. |
Abstract
No review papers have examined studies that have directly compared non-active forms of meditation with exercise to evaluate effects on physical or psychosocial outcomes, which was the purpose of this paper. Studies were included if they had a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design, included a non-active form of meditation and exercise as intervention arms, and evaluated physical or psychosocial outcomes. The quality of included RCTs was rated using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias in randomized trials. Five RCTs met the inclusion criteria. The total sample size across all studies was N = 325. Of the main outcomes assessed across the five studies, meditation was shown to be more effective than the exercise comparison arm when evaluating the psychosocial outcomes of anxiety, altruism, and life changes. Additionally, meditation was more effective at reducing chronic neck pain at rest and pain-related bothersomeness. Exercise, however, was more effective in improving physical health-related quality of life, HDL and LDL cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose levels. The interventions were found to be comparable when evaluating the outcomes of well-being, ethanol consumption, and perceived stress levels. Four of the evaluated studies were determined to have an overall 'unclear' risk of bias and one study was found to have a 'high' risk of bias. Exercise and non-active meditation may uniquely influence various health-related outcomes. A continued exploration of the effects of exercise and non-active meditation in controlled trials may yield a better understanding of their benefits.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- Acute effects of ultra-short aerobic and resistance, yoga-based mobility, and mindfulness meditation sessions on mental health: a randomized online study. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living 2026
- Effects of Static Meditation Practice on Blood Lipid Levels: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Healthcare March 14, 2024
- Mindfulness Practice versus Physical Exercise in Enhancing Vitality. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health January 31, 2023
- Who Sticks with Meditation? Rates and Predictors of Persistence in a Population-based Sample in the USA. Mindfulness 2023
- Motivation for Meditation and its Association with Meditation Practice in a National Sample of Internet Users. Mindfulness September 20, 2022
and 4 more in the library
Cites 7
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Physical Activity, Mindfulness Meditation, or Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback for Stress Reduction: A Randomized Controlled Trial Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback June 25, 2015
- The Neural Mechanisms of Meditative Practices: Novel Approaches for Healthy Aging Current behavioral neuroscience reports October 18, 2016
- Loving‐Kindness Meditation Effects on Well‐Being and Altruism: A Mixed‐Methods Online RCT Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being June 23, 2016
- Effectiveness of jyoti meditation for patients with chronic neck pain and psychological distress--a randomized controlled clinical trial. Journal of Pain January 2015
and 2 more in the library