1. Take a pause before you run.  Take a moment to focus on your breath, reviewing your goal for the run and setting an intention to let everything else go.  While pausing, you could also take a moment to use ALL of your senses to allow yourself to be present – what do you see, feel, smell, touch, and hear.  

2. Practice mentally scanning your body from head to toe as you run.  Paying attention to the space between your ear lobes and shoulders (yes, there should be space), how tightly or loosely you are holding your arms and hands.     

3. Pay attention to your breath and how it corresponds with the cadence of your steps.  The result of this is going to be dependent on how fast you are running, how long your stride is, and what your fitness level is.  An example would be: one inhale for 4 steps, exhale for 4 steps (and repeat)! 

4. Allow yourself to be aware of your thoughts.  We are never free of thoughts and sometimes it even seems that our mind literally has a mind of its own.  Are the thoughts instructive, positive, or negative?   Are these thoughts serving you well?   If not, redirect your attention to some part of the body or have two one-syllable words ready to go that you can repeat to yourself while you run to regain attention.  For example, ‘fast’, ‘strong’, ‘here and now’, ‘light’. 

5. Paying attention to how your feet are landing, maybe even just how you are pushing off as you propel yourself forward to redirect your attention to the present moment. 

As your kids gather together before they start a group run, there will most likely be a lot of chatter and movement. You could have them either continue standing or allow them to sit or lie down (depending on their environment). Ask them to avert or close their eyes and just pay attention to their breath for one minute. Ask them to breathe a little bigger than their normal breath, and to pay attention to only their inhale and then their exhale, noting any sensations – any warmth or coolness – they can silently count the number of seconds it takes them to inhale and exhale to themselves to allow them to focus on breathing.   Their breath should be felt all the way into their bellies and up through their chest. At the end of the minute, depending on the group, you could have a short chat on how that felt for them (do they now feel calmer, more attentive, more energetic, happier…, sleepy, silly) or you can just move on to get ready for the run. Personally observe the energy of your group before, during, and after to get a sense of how practicing mindfulness may be affecting them.

If you get some giggles from some members in your group for the first few times you try this, just know this is normal.   Some of them may not be comfortable closing their eyes and that’s ok too. They will still get the benefit from the breathing exercise.

Mindful Body Scan

This exercise helps bring their attention to their body, training their attention to focus on one part at a time and recognizing what area they may be holding tension.  It is a great exercise for them to do right before their runs, just before a test, a presentation, or at the starting line of a race or game.

Mindful Running/Walking

Begin by taking ten mindful breaths as you begin your warmup.  Become aware of your body as a whole.  As you increase your speed, notice how quickly your breathing rate changes, and focus on your breathing whenever your mind wanders from the present moment.  Pay attention to your heart beating and the rhythm of your feet bouncing on the ground.  Notice if any of your body parts are tense and work on loosening them up. Enjoy the wind on your face and the warmth in your body as your run/walk unfolds.  Observe any thoughts that pop into your mind without being judgmental.  Pay attention to what you are enjoying from the run and note how you feel about your effort after you finish.

As a lot of runners approach their final days of training, their minds may become flooded with thoughts… This is where mindfulness fits in! Think about how you want to feel before and during the race. Many athletes would say, “Confident and Relaxed.” Use whatever works best for you. Continue to practice the breathing that we’ve talked about before (big breaths- 5 seconds in and 5 seconds out- from the top of your chest down through your belly). As SOON as you start feeling too many butterflies or your heart is pounding too quickly, take a deep breath. See and feel yourself responding to this, create a confident and relaxed image. What do you look like as you are approaching the start line- a powerful, fast cheetah or a scaredy cat? You choose!

Another mental strategy to be mindful of is an attitude of appreciation…. Think about how lucky you are to have the ability to be out there, to be able to participate, to have the ability to run or walk, be around others, all the support you have on a regular basis, etc.

Creating a mindset of gratitude, along with thoughts and feelings of confidence and relaxation, all while breathing deeply, will aid in helping you get to the finish line happier and maybe even faster! Remember, this is supposed to be fun!