‘Running is my meditation’: an investigation of the meditative qualities of non-competitive long-distance running and their role in the self-regulation of wellbeing
Creators: name: Lobigs, Ryan
Publisher: name: RMIT University
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 420702
subject: Exercise physiology

description: Meditation is a common mental practice used to self-regulate psychological wellbeing. Regular practice has been shown to reduce acute symptoms of mental fatigue, stress, and anxiety, and improve the attention regulation skills underlying wellbeing. However, despite these known health benefits, a relatively low proportion of healthy adults practice meditation regularly. Some factors contributing to the low participation rate may include an experience of discomfort while sitting for prolonged periods and an inability to sustain one’s attention due to mental fatigue, stress, or anxiety. In societies where mental fatigue and stress are fast becoming a public health concern, finding alternative and/or complementary activities that offer comparable benefits, and develop similar mental skills, to meditation would be beneficial. 

Running is a popular physical activity that is convenient, inexpensive, and accessible to people of all ages. Single sessions of running have been shown to elicit a positive psychological state similar to that reported during and after meditation. In addition, running involves various attention regulation techniques similar to those used in meditation, such as monitoring the breath and body. It is therefore reasonable to propose that running may offer a meditation-like experience and accordingly, function as an alternative or complementary form of meditation. Indeed, many people have described running as meditative, citing its ability to calm and relax the mind, stimulate a present moment awareness, and foster mental clarity. 

No studies to our knowledge have compared the psychological experiences or attention regulation processes of running and meditation. Therefore, the aim of this research was to explore the potential similarities between recreational running and seated meditation and in doing so, establish a rational framework for future comparative research on running and meditation. 

Study 1 (Chapter 3) explored the meditative characteristics of non-competitive recreational running. In a series of semi-structured interviews, 43 (22 female, 21 male) experienced runners who perceived running to be meditative were asked to describe (a) the psychological qualities of a meditative experience and (b) the running conditions (e.g., intensity, duration, location, use of audio, and social context) they considered to be most meditative. The participants responses were organised into common themes using an inductive thematic analysis. The meditative characteristics of running included: (1) getting away, (2) mental relaxation, (3) being in the moment, (4) opportunity to think, and (5) rejuvenation. Most participants considered lower intensity, longer forms of continuous running (i.e., ‘long slow distance’ runs) performed alone and without music in a natural environment to be most meditative. This was the first study, to our knowledge, to describe the meditative characteristics of running. The findings from this study add a unique dimension to the existing body of research on the psychological benefits of running. 

Study 2 (Chapter 4) explored the way meditative running is framed and instructed by recreational runners on the internet. Sixty-two weblog (‘blog’) posts on meditative and mindful running published between 2008 and 2020 were purposely sampled from the internet using an iterative Google Search strategy. The personal experiences and instructional techniques (i.e., ‘how-to’ lists) of each blog post was analysed using a content-driven thematic analysis. The results were organised into 4 categories and 13 themes: (1) preparatory steps (i.e., set an intention, let go of performance goals, reduce external distraction, and start with an easy warm-up), (2) meditation style (i.e., focused attention, open monitoring, and contemplation), (3) self-regulation behaviours (i.e., refocus after a distraction, let thoughts pass, control breathing, concentrate in intervals, and vary stimuli and meditation style), and (4) post-run journaling (i.e., document the experience). This was the first study, to our knowledge, to describe the procedural aspects of meditative and mindful running. The findings of this research provide a preliminary framework for designing and instructing a meditative running program. 

Study 3 (Chapter 5) explored the relationship between attention control behaviour in running (e.g., focusing on the breath) and attention control and mindfulness skill in daily life (e.g., concentrating at work). This involved two phases. In Study 3a, a new survey was developed to assess attention control in running (i.e., the ACR). The initial survey (43 items) was completed by 252 recreational runners via the internet, along with 8 other surveys on attention and cognitive behaviour. An exploratory factor analysis was performed to identify the number of underlying dimensions within the ACR and refine the overall structure of the survey. This resulted in a two-factor solution: (1) ‘focused attention’ (10 items) and (2) ‘mind wandering’ (8 items). The two factors were negatively related (r = -0.41) and had good internal consistency.

In Study 3b, a correlational analysis was performed between the ACR and three common surveys of attention control (i.e., Attention Control Scale and Attention Style Questionnaire) and mindfulness (i.e., Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire). A subset of 204 participants who completed all of the online surveys in Study 3a were used in this study. There were significant, small-to-moderate relationships between the ACR subscales and most attention control and mindfulness variables. The results suggest there may be a meaningful association between attention control performed during recreational running and daily life. This was the first study, to our knowledge, to explore the relationship between attention behaviors in an exercise and non-exercise setting. Further research using an independent sample of runners is needed to validate the ACR and clarify the nature and direction of the observed relationships. 

The findings of this research provide insight into a unique aspect of recreational running. On the surface, it appears that some of the acute psychological benefits and wellbeing opportunities that recreational running offers are similar to those experienced in meditation. Furthermore, it appears that some of the attention regulation behaviours performed during running may contribute to the concentration and mindfulness skills used in daily life. Further experimental research is needed to understand the effects of ‘regular’ and ‘meditative’ forms of running on attention function and psychological wellbeing in healthy adults.