Mind-body training

Mind-body training (MBT) is a term that describes health and fitness interventions that are supposed to work on a physical and mental level.^[1][2][3] It is sometimes used interchangeably with the term mind-body interventions^[4] or as a subset thereof.^[5] Most studies of Mind-body training are small and have low scientific validity, a finding that dominates many Cochrane Reviews.^{[6][7][8][9][10][11]}

Defining MBT

The United States National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) defines mind-body interventions as activities that purposefully affect mental as well as physical fitness and lists activities such as yoga, tai chi, and pilates as mind-body interventions.^[4]

The Cochrane Library contains 3 systematic reviews that explicitly cite and define mind-body training.^{[12] [8][5]} The reviews consider biofeedback, mindfulness, autogenic training, hypnotherapy, imagery, meditation, and prayer as mind-body training despite them focusing more strictly on the mind.

One review uses a narrower definition, defining mind-body training as an ‘active’ intervention in which mental and physical exercises are alternated.^[5] A web search will yield mentions of mind-body training in offerings of entities that give yoga, pilates, or meditation training, but explicit definitions of mind-body training are rare.

The history of MBT

Western mind-body training was popularized in the early 20th century but dates back to Ancient Greece.^[13] The Greek values of strength and beauty in combination with Greek mythology led to activities intended to promote confidence.

Eastern mind-body training in the form of Yoga originated in Ancient India and has been around since at least 500 BCE and possibly as early as 3300 BCE.^[14][15][16]

In the late 19th and early 20th century a renewed interest developed in mind-body work. Possibly due to visits from Yoga Gurus and increased interest some medical practitioners and movement specialists developed movement therapies with a deliberate mental focus.^[13]

Two prominent names in modern mind-body training are Joseph Pilates (1880-1967) and Margaret Morris (1891-1980). A famous statement of Joseph Pilates was “Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness.”^[17] Margaret Morris had a background in dance and claimed a connection between a free dance and a free mind.^[13][18]

MBT claims and evidence

According to proponents of the technique a rationale for mind-body training is that the mind follows the body and the body follows the mind. The body-mind connection can be attributed to hormones and chemicals released during movement.^[19] The mind-body connection is dominated by the brain and seen as more of a neurological mechanism. There are some indications that movement complexity may have an impact on brain development.^[20]

When it comes to explicitly alternating mental and physical exercise sections, proponents rationalize that physical activity induces an elevated heart-rate and increases in stress mimicing conditions in which athletes need their mental skills the most.^[21] It is believed that these conditions make training more functional. There is some limited scientific evidence supporting effectiveness because of this type of approach.^[5]

Most studies of Mind-body training are small and have low scientific validity, a finding that dominates many Cochrane Reviews.^{[6][7][8][9][10][11]} Some of the individual studies do show positive results, but this may be due to chance or placebo effects and the significance may diminish when groups are randomized.

Side effects are rarely reported in mind-body training. Although some studies have indicated that meditation can have undesired adverse effects on specific clinical populations, for example people with a history of PTSD, although these are smaller studies.^[22][23]

There is limited high-quality evidence as well with regard to the effect of intensity and duration. In a small study observing 87 healthy female participants, undergoing either mind-body training or no training,^[1] participants who actively participated in an online program showed significantly greater resilience toward stress, anger, anxiety, and depression at 8 weeks than at 4 weeks into the study.^[1] However, this study was not randomized and the placebo effect may be large on the subjective psychological test scores.

References

0.00 (0 votes)