Power of the Mind - the Placebo Effect

Last month I discussed the key to happiness is to write things down, on the second installment of

Improving your life for the better I’m going to get into your mind.

 According to the book "59 Seconds - Think a Little, Change a Lot" from Richard Wiseman, Researchers at Harvard University studied over 80 hotel room cleaning attendants from 7 different hotels.   What they wanted to find out was;  Would telling the participants that their work was great exercise improve their health compared to those that didn't realize their work was in fact "exercise"?

  

Neither group changed their lifestyle.

Remarkably those who had been told how many calories they burned on a daily basis had lost a significant amount of weight, lowered their body mass index and waist-to-hip ration and decreased blood pressure.  The other group showed no similar change.

It was the power of the placebo that caused the health boost.  By reminding the attendants of the amount of exercise that they were getting on a daily basis, the researchers altered the attendant’s beliefs about themselves and their bodies responded to make these beliefs a reality. 

So merely thinking about their normal daily exercise made them healthier. 

That’s why at my classes I emphasis focus and giving effort.  If you are too busy talking to your exercise buddy than concentrating on your workout you drastically reduce your success.  .  I have a wide variety of participants and it’s that mental focus that tells them apart.  

At a recent Fitness Conference, one of the presenters Dr. Dean Kriellaars…. who is involved with the Cirque de Solei in Montreal stated that the Body and Mind are all one.  Working with some of the best conditioned athletes in the world he would know.  He also stated that you cannot get fit without participation.

So, when it comes to improving your health, don’t underestimate the power of your mind.  Visualize.  And remember, you may already be putting in the necessary effort, you just need to realize it…..

Spring Sessions start  soon – on Tuesday April 12 & Thursday April 14^th, 2016.

Register online at  http://www.localcourses.com : DYNABODY
See: St.James Continuing Education: 

Fitness / Aerobics / Challenging   SFT12-16 or SFT12-16
or type in "Dynabody" in the search box

or call: 832-9637 to Register by phone

 

 

** Crum, A.J. & Langer, E.J. (2007) Mind-set maters: Exercise and the placebo effect. Psychological Science, 18, 165-171