9 Reasons Why You Should Include Meditation in Your Routine

By now, you probably know someone who meditates, and they’ve likely shared how amazing it is. Perhaps they discuss how it makes them feel calmer and think more clearly. But as someone who cares about strength, endurance, or hitting personal records in the gym, you might still wonder: Is there really a benefit for me to meditate?

What does the science actually say about how meditation impacts your performance, recovery and overall well-being?

This article will discuss the scientific evidence and reasons why you should include meditation in your routine. Whether you’re an athlete, weekend warrior, or someone just trying to stay in shape, understanding the role of the mind in your health can unlock another level of progress.

What is meditation?

Meditation is often associated with breathing techniques.

Meditation is a mental training practice that involves focusing attention and eliminating distractions to increase awareness, attention, and emotional control. It is typically done by sitting quietly, closing the eyes, and concentrating on a single point of focus such as the breath, a sound, or bodily sensations.

Think of it this way: while we’re awake, our brains are constantly absorbing information whether useful or not. From social media noise to everyday stressors, this unfiltered input can build up and create mental clutter. Over time, this overload can lead to difficulty focusing, irritability, and a general sense of being overwhelmed.

Meditation acts like a mental filter. It gives your mind space to pause, sort through the noise, and process what truly matters. Instead of letting thoughts pile up, meditation helps you step back, observe them without judgment, and gradually clear out the mental clutter.

Brain scans show that regular meditation can literally change brain structures and function over time. This means that regular meditation can influence different aspects of our lives, not just cognitive performance, but also physical performance.

Benefits of meditation

1. Stress regulation

When you’re training hard and juggling everyday stress, your body produces more cortisol– the main stress hormone. High cortisol levels can slow down recovery, mess with your sleep, and even make it harder to build muscle or lose fat.

Meditation helps by calming both the mind and body. Studies have shown that just a few weeks of regular meditation can lower stress levels and reduce cortisol levels. Some types of meditation even help slow your heart rate and relax your nervous system. In short, meditation gives your body a break from the constant “fight or flight” mode. This helps you recover more quickly, avoid burnout, and create a better environment for muscle growth and improved performance.

2. Enhanced recovery and muscle relaxation

Effective fitness training is not just about how hard you push. It also depends on how well you recover. When you meditate, your body enters a state of calmness that reduces muscle tension and slows down the "fight or flight" response triggered by intense exercise.

Research shows that athletes who meditate experience less soreness, increased energy, and mental clarity, especially after challenging workouts or competitions. Meditation helps reduce stress, ease tight muscles, and promote faster healing. Many fitness enthusiasts who practice it often say they feel more relaxed and ready for their next session.

3. Improved sleep quality

Meditation, particularly mindfulness, has been demonstrated to enhance sleep quality. In many clinical trials, individuals who practiced mindfulness meditation reported better sleep quality than those using other relaxation techniques.

Meditation helps people fall asleep faster, feel calmer before bed, and wake up with lower levels of the stress hormone. Some therapies include meditation for treating insomnia and other sleep disorders.

4. Pain reduction and higher pain tolerance

One surprising benefit of meditation is its ability to alter the way we perceive pain. Research indicates that mindfulness meditation can reduce pain intensity, increase pain tolerance, and enhance the brain's response to discomfort. Regular practice helps the mind stay calm and non-reactive, which reduces the emotional stress that usually makes pain feel worse.

5. Enhanced circulation and heart health

Both stress and intense exercise can raise blood pressure and heart rate, but meditation helps bring these back into balance by improving the body's ability to regulate them.

Research indicates that regular meditation can lower resting blood pressure, particularly systolic pressure, by approximately 4 to 5 mmHg. It also tends to reduce resting heart rate, showing a shift toward a calmer, more recovery-friendly state in the body. Over time, this results in less strain on the heart during workouts and improved cardiovascular efficiency.

6. Lower inflammation and faster healing

Intense exercise creates small amounts of inflammation as your muscles repair and grow stronger. This is normal and even helpful. However, too much inflammation, especially if it becomes chronic, can slow down recovery, increase soreness, and raise the risk of injury.

Meditation has been shown to help manage this balance by supporting a healthier immune and inflammatory response. It may also reduce the expression of genes linked to chronic inflammation and biological aging. This means faster recovery, less joint and tendon pain, and possibly fewer days lost to illness.

7. Improved mental wellbeing

Mental health is a key part of fitness success. Motivation, consistency, and the mind-body connection all depend on it. Meditation is best known for its strong effects on mental well-being. Research shows that mindfulness-based practices reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, with even greater improvements seen in people dealing with clinical conditions.

Meditation builds skills like present-moment awareness and a non-judgmental mindset, which help break patterns of worry and negative thinking. This can lead to better focus during training, less performance anxiety, and fewer mental blocks under pressure.

Improved mood and reduced stress also mean more motivation to train and more enjoyment from physical activity. In athletes, mindfulness has been shown to lower sports-related anxiety and increase satisfaction with performance. Even brief sessions have been linked to better mood on the same day.

How to meditate:

Meditation doesn’t have to be complicated, but like any fitness skill, it requires consistency and proper form to maximize its benefits.

1. Choose a comfortable setting

Find a quiet, comfortable spot free from distractions. While not mandatory, a dedicated area that signals your mind it's time to relax can enhance practice effectiveness.

2. Assume a comfortable position

Sit upright yet relaxed on a chair, cushion, or floor. Your spine should be in a comfortable, straight position to allow for natural breathing. Research confirms posture impacts mindfulness effectiveness. Good posture supports deeper breathing, calming the nervous system.

3. Set a realistic duration

Beginners can start with short sessions of 5-10 minutes daily. Consistency is more crucial than length. Gradually increase duration as comfort and concentration improve.

4. Begin with breath awareness

Close your eyes and focus your attention gently on your breathing.

Observe the natural flow of your breath:

inhale, pause, exhale

Try not to control or judge your breathing pattern.

5. Notice and redirect thoughts

Your mind will naturally wander; this is entirely normal.

When thoughts arise, gently acknowledge them, and return your focus to breathing. This process enhances cognitive flexibility and attentional control.

6. Use guided meditations if needed

If you find it challenging to stay focused, guided meditations (available in apps, podcasts, or YouTube) can offer structure and help build your practice.

7. Feel your body

Slowly bring mindful attention to each body part from head to toe. This will enhance your body awareness, reduce muscle tension, and promote relaxation.

Difference between yoga and meditation

Some forms of yoga incorporate meditation. However, not all yoga are meditative or includes meditation.

Yoga is primarily a holistic physical practice that focuses on posture and breathing techniques to enhance flexibility, balance, and mental well-being. It involves performing various poses, holding them with control, and transitioning fluidly between each position to promote both physical strength and mental focus.

Meditation, on the other hand, is purely mental and emotional exercise aimed at increasing your awareness and reducing stress.

Difference between pilate and meditation

Pilates and meditation are both practices that promote mind-body wellness, but they serve different purposes and use different methods.

Pilates is a form of low-impact exercise focused on strengthening the core, improving posture, flexibility, and overall body control through precise movements and controlled breathing.

In contrast, meditation is a mental practice aimed at calming the mind, reducing stress, and enhancing awareness by focusing attention—often through breath, a mantra, or body sensations.

While Pilates engages the body to influence the mind, meditation quiets the mind to influence overall well-being.

Here’s a women’s plan you should try while practicing meditation.