Is meditation better for you than exercise?
- Jul 9, 2016
- 1 min read
Which is better for your body: meditation or exercise? On the surface, it seems like an obvious decision - physical exercise can strengthen our muscles, bones and heart, and has been proven to promote the production of oxytonin and other 'feel-good' chemicals. Whilst meditation is, well, a fad. Right?
Wrong. Or, at least, possibly wrong. Today, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has suggested that mindfulness may be a better treatment for chronic back pain than other ordinary exercises.
Study leader Dr Daniel Cherkin revealed that "training the brain to respond differently to pain signals may be more effective, and last longer, than traditional physical therapy and medication."
It's not the first piece of scientific research to suggest that meditation has the edge over exercise. Researchers have long extolled the virtues of the relaxing practice, discovering links between mindfulness and a stronger immune system, revealing that deep breathing techniques canstrengthen your lungs and, five years ago, even claiming that meditation may be "stronger than morphine" for pain relief.
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