MAP train my brain: meditation combined with aerobic exercise reduces stress and rumination while enhancing quality of life in medical students.
Abstract
Medical students must commit a great deal of concentration and energy during their first 2 years of study, leaving minimal time for self-care. However, once they become physicians, they are in the position of instructing their patients to engage in self-care. Objectives: In this study, first- and second-year medical students participated in a combined mental and physical (MAP) training program with meditation and aerobic exercise that targeted brain health.* Design: Each weekly session began with 30 min of instructional training that emphasized the benefit of the program for brain and body health, followed by 30 min of silent meditation, and ending with 30 min of aerobic exercise. Participants monitored their heart rate to achieve 60%–80% of their personal maximum. Participants engaged in one additional session of MAP training each week on their own. Location and Subjects: First- and second-year medical students were recruited to be participants from the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) in Piscataway, NJ. Outcome measures: Participants completed questionnaires of depressive symptoms, perceived stress, ruminative thoughts, and quality of life, before and after the training approximately 8–9 weeks apart. Results: After 8 weeks of training and in contrast to students who did not participate (n = 30), the medical students who completed at least 14 sessions out of 16 (n = 17) reported significantly fewer ruminations (−17%), including depressive (−16%) and brooding ruminations (−24%). Ruminations are repetitive thoughts that are typically negative in nature and associated with symptoms of depression. The medical students also reported greater quality of life at the end of training and less perceived stress. The majority (84%) would recommend these types of practices and this one in particular to their future patients. Conclusions: Previous studies have demonstrated that MAP training can reduce symptoms of depression as well as trauma-related cognitions, while increasing oxygen consumption and synchronized brain activity during cognitive control procedures. Overall, MAP training offers a time-efficient and evidence-based means of maintaining mental and physical wellness for students during medical school and into their future, as well as their patients alike.
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MAP Training combines meditation with aerobic exercise and has resulted in positive mental and physical health outcomes in clinical and subclinical populations.
“Mental and Physical (MAP) Training combines meditation with aerobic exercise and has resulted in positive mental and physical health outcomes in both clinical and subclinical populations.”
From Mental and physical training with meditation and aerobic exercise improved mental health and well-being in teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic (2022) · cites this paper as Lavadera et al., 2020
In clinical and subclinical populations, MAP Training has yielded positive effects on mental health with decreases in depression, rumination, and post-traumatic thoughts, along with an increase in quality of life.
“In clinical and subclinical populations, MAP Training has yielded positive effects on mental health with decreases in depression, rumination, and post-traumatic thoughts, along with an increase in quality of life (Shors et al., 2014, 2017, 2018; Alderman et al., 2016; Lavadera et al., 2020).”
From Mental and physical training with meditation and aerobic exercise improved mental health and well-being in teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic (2022) · cites this paper as Lavadera et al., 2020
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- Authors
- Lavadera, P., Millon, E. M., & Shors, T. J.
- Affiliations
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (US)
- Corresponding author
- Shors, Tracey J.
- Venue
- The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2020-05-01
- Volume
- 26
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 418-423
- ISSN
- 1075-5535 (ISSN-L)
- 1557-7708
- OpenAlex
- W3017127152
- Cited by
- 41
- References
- 36
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 1 · 2015: 2
- FWCI
- 2.08
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Keywords
- meditation, aerobic exercise, medical students, perceived stress, rumination, depressive symptoms, quality of life, self-care, brain health, heart rate monitoring, brooding
- MeSH terms
- Rumination, Cognitive, Adult, Combined Modality Therapy, Female, Humans, Male, Quality of Life, Surveys and Questionnaires, Stress, Psychological, Students, Medical, Exercise, Meditation, Young Adult
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