EXERCISE or MINDFULNESS MEDITATION?

By Scott Allen, MD, Medical Director, Satori Health and Wellness

Life is busy…and complicated. People who are striving to live a healthy lifestyle are often confronted with competing desires: do I sleep that extra hour or get up early and make a healthy breakfast? Do I spend time with friends and family or focus on advancing my career? We all have the same twenty-four hours each day, and by choosing one healthy activity, we are forced to forgo another.

One common question I’m asked is “Which is better for mental health, exercise or mindfulness meditation?” Both offer positive benefits, but if your personal time is limited, which one offers the best bang per minute?

To answer that question, researchers in Spain studied ninety-four people during their work’s lunch break. The results were published in the International Journal of Environment and Public Health. The workers were split into three groups: those who performed aerobic exercise, those who performed mindfulness meditation, and those who did nothing during their lunch break each day. The study lasted five weeks.

At the end of five weeks, both the exercise group and meditation group reported improvements in well-being; however, the group that exercised had a greater degree of improvement. They reported less stress, less interpersonal conflict, and less irritability. Regarding overall mental health, both groups had a similar amount of improvement.

This is consistent with previous studies. Both exercise and meditation are non-medical ways to improve our experience in the world. It seems, though, that exercise is slightly superior to meditation. Additionally, moderate exercise has many physical benefits that meditation doesn’t confer: improved sleep, weight management, higher selfesteem, blood sugar control, improved muscle strength and balance, and less joint pain and stiffness.

In this simple country doctor’s opinion, if your time is limited and you have to choose between exercise and meditation, exercise will be the most beneficial. Although you can be mindful when performing many physical activities—yoga, swimming, stretching, dancing, walking, running—if exercise is not your thing, practicing mindfulness meditation will offer a long list of health benefits, both mental and physical, that will also improve your life’s experience.

About the Author

Dr. Scott Allen is a St. George-raised, boardcertified anesthesiologist. He has specialty training in transplant anesthesiology and currently practices with Mountain West Anesthesiology at St. George Regional Hospital. He is also the medical director of Satori Health, an integrated ketamine clinic (www. theketamineclinic. com). Dr. Allen is the current president of the Washington County Medical Association. With his deep roots in Utah, he has a special passion for improving the mental healthcare of his friends and neighbors in the community. Dr, Allen enjoys outdoor pursuits with his family and communing with nature. He’s doing his best to stay grounded in the moment!