3 Spiritual Exercises to Incorporate into your Fitness Routine

It’s difficult at times to fit everything you need to do into a single day. Between work, family, friends, hobbies, exercising,  and sleeping,  it is understandably easy to let spiritual practice fall by the wayside.

However, finding time to connect with your inner spirit is easier than you may think, and there are a few spiritual exercises that you can easily incorporate into your existing schedule. Here we look at a few techniques to fit spiritual practice into your physical exercise routine, helping you feel healthier in body, mind, and soul.

• Develop a motivating personal mantra

A personal mantra is a positive affirmation to help inspire and motivate you, and is an important and useful tool to help you throughout your life.  Think of your mantra as your personal motto; just as companies have mottos that make it clear what they do or sell, yours should reflect you and your goals in life.

Your personal mantra is a set of words to live your life by. It may change over time, and that is a good sign. This means that you have achieved one goal, and are onto the next. It could be a quote from a historical figure, a philosopher, a psychic or spiritualist, or even from a favourite book. Anything that is personal to you and inspires you to achieve your goals will do the trick.

These words will be of particular help to you when you’re struggling to feel motivated to exercise. If you wake up and feel like skipping your morning workout, take a few minutes to say your personal mantra to yourself. If it helps, stand in front of a mirror and say the mantra to your reflection. Repeat the words until you feel inspired and motivated to face your challenges head on.

• Meditate before you exercise

Meditation is one of the most powerful spiritual practices we know of, and we encourage you to try to incorporate it into your everyday life. If you’re worried about finding the time to meditate, simply take an extra five minutes and make it a part of your daily fitness routine.

There is much debate about the ‘best’ approach to meditation; some people believe you should empty your mind of all thought and just focus on breathing, whereas others say it is a perfect opportunity to connect with your spirit and think deeply about your life. The approach you take is completely up to you, and there are no right or wrong ways to meditate.

If you prefer to use this time to connect with your inner spirit, this is a great time to focus on your personal mantra.

3. Exercise in nature

We each have a deep, spiritual connection with nature - even if we’re not aware of it - and spending time outdoors is excellent for our physical, mental and spiritual health.

An excellent way of making time for both fitness and spirituality is to take your exercise routine outside. There are many benefits to exercising surrounded by nature, not least that it’s just a lot more interesting than spending an hour in the gym!

Instead of running on a treadmill facing a wall, or a room full of other people doing the same thing,  take to your local park or outdoor running track; you will be breathing in fresh air, and you will have time to really appreciate the views around you. Or if you’re lucky enough to live close to a beach or even a mountain, get your exercise from swimming in the sea or going on a hike.

If you don’t have time in the day to dedicate to a full exercise session,  try to fit in a walk at least. If you use public transport like the bus or tram, get off one stop sooner than you usually do, and walk the rest of the way. Or if you have time on your lunch break that you usually spend sitting in the canteen, use it to take a quick walk around the block.

Walking is a wonderful opportunity to think and clear your head. If something is worrying you, or you have a problem you need to think of a solution to, taking a quiet stroll will help you to digest your thoughts and figure out what you need to do. It may help to invite a friend along on your walk, and use the time as a chance to talk and get things off your chest.