Mindful Strides: A Brief Associative Attention Intervention to Improve Running Performance Among College Students

Despite the well-documented health benefits of engaging in 150 minutes of weekly moderate-intensity aerobic activity, less than 1 out of 4 Americans meet this guideline. Challenges in maintaining exercise routines often arise due to a lack of immediate performance results, creating substantial perceived barriers to engaging in physical activity. Associative attention, which is a cognitive technique where one focuses on bodily sensations and mindfulness during physical activity, shows promise as a trainable strategy to improve performance, particularly running. This study examined the efficacy of brief 15-minute intervention training associative attention mindfulness techniques to enhance running performance among nonathletic college students. Participants (N = 117) were assigned to 1 of 4 conditions: exercise only, associative attention, combined exercise and associative attention (associative exercise), and control. Performance was assessed using performance time and attention style ratings at baseline and follow-up (one week later) 1 mile runs. ANOVA revealed significant performance improvements in all groups compared to the control group F(3, 112) = 3.46; p = .019, Cohen’s f = .30, η2 = .08, with the associative-only group demonstrating the most substantial improvement (M = -42.58 seconds, SD = 71.69; p = .002). Attention style ratings showed a similar pattern, with associative ratings increasing and dissociative ratings decreasing from baseline to follow-up. These findings underscore the efficacy of brief interventions in enhancing performance and shifting attention styles, offering practical implications for nonathletic populations.