This Can Help Fend Off Depression & Sleep Problems As We Age

Taking care of our bodies and minds takes a little more intentionality the older we get. For elderly populations, namely, staying on top of your sleep routine and minding your mental health both go a long way toward living well for longer.

And according to research published in the journal Holistic Nursing Practice, there's one type of exercise that can help in both of those areas: moving meditation.

For this study, Turkish researchers wanted to better understand the effect of moving meditation exercises on depression scores, as well as sleep quality, in elderly populations.

Moving meditation, unlike seated meditation, incorporates the body into your meditation practice, encouraging you to focus on your body and breath as you move.

Before the study began, a group of 114 participants 65 years old and up reported health data using a handful of different questionnaires, such as the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, the Geriatric Depression Scale, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.

Then, for six weeks, participants in the moving meditation group were instructed to perform qi gong or tai chi throughout the week for 30-45 minutes per session. There was also a control group who did not perform moving meditations.

Following the six weeks, participants in the moving meditation group not only had lower depression scores, but their sleep quality scores were better as well, compared to the control group.

Whether you're 25 or 85, we can all gain something from the benefits of moving meditation, but if you're 65 or older, it might be of particular pertinence.

As the study authors note, their results show that moving meditation exercises can be a supportive practice in tandem with traditional treatments.

"In consideration of the growing health economy, it may be recommended that nurses incorporate this exercise in their professional practice," they add.