Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons^™

Mindful Meditation And Physical Exercise: Neuropsychological Effects, Emma Stein

Honors Theses

An abundance of prior research has indicated the robust relationship between physical exercise and cognition (Colcombe & Kramer, 2003). More recent research has investigated the cognitive and stress-relieving benefits of mind-body exercise, involving a combination of mindful meditation techniques with physical movements (Wayne, et al., 2014). Among these two cognitively enhancing techniques, is “exergaming,” which provides interactive physical exercise with a virtual environment. Research on exergaming has found additional cognitive benefits of interactive mental and physical exercise compared to regular physical exercise (Anderson-Hanley, et al., 2012). However, it remains unclear as to which type of mental engagement is required during …