Can Meditation Build Muscle?

Why top trainers believe that meditation before a workout can help make you a better athlete.

- Ashley Mateo

You've got an hour at the gym, but instead of focusing on reps, your brain is grinding on that big work project or a tiff with your partner. Your inclination may be to pick a workout so hard that the discomfort will drown out the noise. But there’s another antidote: meditation and mindfulness.

These practices aren’t new to sports. “Pro athletes know the power of pregame routines,” says Corey Phelps, a Washington, D.C.–based trainer who does meditation with clients. Phil Jackson led team meditations as L.A. Lakers coach in 2009; coach Pete Carroll employed it in 2015 when his Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl; and U.S. Women’s National Soccer team members Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan, Christen Press, and Kelley O’Hara all credit meditation techniques for their success.