Which is better...meditating before or after working out?

Right now, I am meditating before I work out because that makes more sense to me. If I work out then meditate I don't think my body can calm down lol. But I just want to hear about people's experiences...because I did a quick research and many people meditate after they work out and have said good things about it. So if you have any knowledge of this subject or experiences, do share.

[Clover]

I would probably fall right to sleep if I meditated right after working out. Lol. Personally for me,I meditate in the morning or late in the evening when my body is at ease and restful. I don't have energy to hold up a meditation after working out or running.

[wstein]

Originally Posted by BlueClover

I would probably fall right to sleep if I meditated right after working out. Lol. Personally for me,I meditate in the morning or late in the evening when my body is at ease and restful. I don't have energy to hold up a meditation after working out or running.

If you get the workout out of the way, that will be one less thing on your mind when trying to meditate.

[jonesboy]

lol,

It depends. You don't want to do a full hour long workout and then meditate. That type of workout uses up energy.

Before a meditation session nothing longer than 10 mins.

After a meditation session is preferred. It can be very grounding for some and help with any overloading from pushing your practice to quickly.

Hope that helps.

[venturer]

The advice I would give is this. If you want to exercise before meditation, do a meditation that will aid your exercise. Meditation techniques to cleanse your body and/or allow energy to flow into your body will increase your athletic ability. For instance, clearing your chakras before you exercise will increase your athletic ability. This is just one of many techniques you could use.

I'd personally say that meditation before is better. The main reason is this. Your should really eat food straight after exercise and you shouldn't meditate on a full stomach. If someone really wants to do a workout before a meditation the exercise should be something which will supplement the meditation. Yoga is excellent for doing before meditation (although you could argue that Yoga isn't really excercise). Running in also great for clearing the mind.
The workout shouldn't be too strenuous beccause you will probably fall asleep in the meditation and you will be super hungry after the workout and unable to eat. Your mind will also be flooded with seratonin which will make it difficult to get your mind into the vibrational state you are aiming for in meditation. I also don't think it is healthy for someone to get into a heightened state of mind and body then try to bring it down to an extremely relaxed state and on top of that not replenishing the body with food when it needs it the most.

One advantage of exercising before you meditate is that you will increase the amount of prana that you take into your system by opening your lungs from breathing deeper and faster so when you meditate you will have much more energy in your body.

IMHO I'd say the best approach is to meditate before and another long after the workout. One before that will focus on cleansing and bringing energy into the body. Then, a good while after you have exercised and you feel like your body has returned back to mormal state do a relaxing meditation, even if it's only for 10 minutes. This will help the recovery process of the body by putting your body into a more relaxed state for the remainder of the day and will aid in recovery. It will also put your mind into that nice state you get from a nice relaxing meditation for the rest of the day.

JMHO

I've found myself not having to pay so much attention to tensions in the body if I meditate after exercise. Involved with dance as a keep fit activity, I'm very alive for a few hours after a session, possibly because dance inducts some kind of spiritual vitality as well as physical. But I can relax fairly easily without the risk of sleep (most times) to do meditational things. It's useless me trying to sleep for at least two hours after a session though I find meditation more difficult late in the evening.

Out of body exits are usually more successful in the mornings.

♀

[Visitor]

I love to go on long bicycle rides, my shortest ride is at least an hour. I have been doing this for ten years.
Four out of five rides, I zone out, for most of the ride. This is when I am fully relaxed and fully alert of everything about and around me.
I am aware of mind, body and soul. Intuition and foresight is part of the zone out.
To me, I am in an active meditative state.

[venturer]

Originally Posted by Lorelyen

I've found myself not having to pay so much attention to tensions in the body if I meditate after exercise. Involved with dance as a keep fit activity, I'm very alive for a few hours after a session, possibly because dance inducts some kind of spiritual vitality as well as physical. But I can relax fairly easily without the risk of sleep (most times) to do meditational things. It's useless me trying to sleep for at least two hours after a session though I find meditation more difficult late in the evening.

Out of body exits are usually more successful in the mornings.

♀

You're probably feeling like that because of the increased amount of adrenaline that is in your system after dancingas adrenaline keeps you awake.

[inavalan]

Meditation after exercise should be better. Relaxation after increased activity is propice for attaining altered states of consciousness.

Originally Posted by kimtsan

Right now, I am meditating before I work out because that makes more sense to me. If I work out then meditate I don't think my body can calm down lol. But I just want to hear about people's experiences...because I did a quick research and many people meditate after they work out and have said good things about it. So if you have any knowledge of this subject or experiences, do share.

I relate to this like yoga.
When I do certain forms of yoga I get really charged up.
Almost more so than working out. I learned that corpse pose at the end of the session is vital to reground. It keeps me sane. I’d almost go as far to say I do the whole session just to get to that corpse pose.

If I skip corpse at the end I end up bouncing off the walls the next day.