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

 

Regrets

Not happy with your body but finding it difficult to motivate yourself to go to the gym? Harness the power of regret and avoid reflection.    According to Richard Wiseman, the author of 59 Seconds: Change your life in under a minute, taking a few moments thinking about how much you will regret NOT going to the gym will help motivate you to get going.

And when you get there, stay away from mirrors.  Researchers believe that the mirrors may encourage people to focus on their less than perfect bodies and do more harm than good.

Better yet, come out to this weeks Dynabody Total Fitness class.  You definitely won’t regret coming and you don’t have to worry about mirrors :0)

This Tuesday March 15 – Bannatyne School 6:30 pm

This Thursday March 17– Strathmillan School  6:30 pm

Can’t make it?  Mark it on your calendar – the spring session starts April 12^th and 14^th and goes until mid June. 

Hope to see you there!

Doug

Dynabody Fitness Classes for the New Year!

Start your New Year’s the right way!

10 Tuesdays starting  January 12th, 2016 

Class Code:  FFT15-15

 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm

Location:   Banatynne School,
363 Thompson Drive,
St. James Assiniboia, Winnipeg, MB
$89.00 for 10 classes

10 Thursdays starting January 14, 2016  
Class Code:  FFT20-15 

 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm

Location:   Strathmillan School,
339 Strathmillan Road,
St. James Assiniboia, Winnipeg MB

$89.00 for 10 classes

Register online at:

http://www.localcourses.com : DYNABODY

See: St.James Continuing Education: 

Fitness / Aerobics / Challenging   FFT15-15 or FFT20-15
or type in "Dynabody" in the search box

go online: http://www.localcourses.com/sjsd

Dynabody Fitness Bootcamp - Tuesdays from January 12th

Dynabody Fitness Bootcamp – Thursdays from January 14th

or call: 832-9637 to Register by phone

To get updated info. regarding the Fitness Bootcamps visit my website:  Dynabody.net or by emailing me at dynabody@gmail.com.

For Corporate/Employee Wellness visit: http://dynabody.ca

" True enjoyment comes from activity of the mind and exercise of the body; the two are ever united.”  Wilhelm von Humboldt

December Classes

There are 5 classes for this December 2015:

Tuesdays: December 1st and 8th at Bannatyne School

Thursdays:  December 3rd and 10th at Strathmillan School

Make up classes are to be held January 5, 2016 for the Tuesday class and January 7th for the Thursday Class.

NEW WINTER CLASSES START JANUARY 12th AND 14th, 2016!

LUNG POWER

When it comes to your physical well being, there are few things more important than “lung power”.

But without your awareness, you are probably losing lung capacity. They tend to shrink with age.

DID YOU KNOW THAT YOUR LUNGS SHRINK WITH AGE?

 

Sooner or later….

 - You get tired more quickly,

 - you have less strength and virility

 - you get colds and the flu more often,

 - it takes longer to recover from illness.

Did you know?

At 20 – Your lungs have stopped growing and lung capacity has stabilized.

At 30 – your lungs start to decline.  The Alveoli (air sacs) that deliver oxygen to your blood begin to die off.

At 35 – you lose 20 percent of your lung capacity.

By 50 – you lose 40 percent of your vital lung capacity.

AND THE DECLINE CONTINUES FOR LIFE

If you get the flu or pneumonia at age 40, you can usually shrug it off – because you have extra lung capacity to sustain yourself.

However, if you are older (65 years or more) and you catch the flu or pneumonia, you won’t have the reserve lung capacity to get over the sickness.  Normal everyday activity becomes harder to deal with when energy reserves are declining.

That is why the death rate is so much higher for seniors who get these respiratory diseases.

LACK OF OXYGEN RESERVES CAUSE 50% OF ALL HEART ATTACKS!

RESTORE YOUR LUNG CAPACITY OF YOUR YOUTH

Yes, You CAN build your lungs back.

Bigger lungs supply your body with more oxygen and help to remove carbon dioxide.  All it takes is a few simple steps to build up your respiratory system.

The best way to do it is simple: High intensity, short-interval workouts

The process of moving air in and out of the lungs is called pulmonary (lung) ventilation.  Breathing is always important during exercise.  Remember that during muscular conditioning (resistance training) do not hold your breath - exhale on exertion.

By implementing an adequate exercise program you will

-     improve your lung capacity and minimize the loss of lung volume.

-          focus on your lung’s elasticity

-          improve your posture and

-          improve the function of your diaphragm,

You can make this challenging exercise program more effective with a diet rich in protein, which helps to build organ tissue.

Finally, finish up your workout with some yoga or slow stretches, breathing through your abdomen (around your navel).

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there!

Thursday's Class Rescheduled to Wednesday

Thursday January 29th class has been rescheduled to Wednesday January 28th at Strathmillan School.

Come join the Dynabods and have some fun!

Happy New Year - See you in 2015!

To Dynabods everywhere - Happy Holidays!

Classes start January 13th (Tuesday evenings) and January 22, 2015 (Thursday evenings)

FALL/WINTER DTF CLASS SESSIONS ARE ON NOW

Time to get a get back into the groove or boost on your exercise routine!  The Fall ConEd Indoor Fitness Classes are starting soon so sign up now!

Build strength, tone your body, work your core and then ignite your metabolism with Dynabody Finishers – some High Intensity Finales before cooling down after a great workout session!

Sessions run from  6:30 to 8:00 pm and cost is $79 each (10 classes)!

Register online at:

Dynabody Total Fitness - Tuesday Oct. 7th - Bannatyne School

Dynabody Total Fitness - Thursday Oct.9th - Strathmillan School

or call: 832-9637 to Register by phone

And you can always email me for more info at:  dynabody@gmail.com

Keep on exercising – your body needs it.  And remember – USE IT OR LOSE IT! 

" True enjoyment comes from activity of the mind and exercise of the body; the two are ever united.”

Wilhelm von Humboldt

We are also on Facebook and Twitter!

FACEBOOK.COM              http://www.facebook.com/doug.dynabody

TWITTER:                             https://twitter.com/Dynabody

DYNABODY TOTAL FITNESS - DTF BOOTCAMPS

DYNABODY WELLNESS  

PASSION & HARD WORK

I just finished reading Orr – My Story, the biography by the greatest defenseman who played hockey – Bobby Orr.   What has made him successful was not being a “natural” which Orr felt was disrespectful to the people who have worked to master any discipline, be it music, literature, medicine or sports.

The fact is that talent counts for almost nothing in the absence of hard work.  As he states ” Plenty of gifted athletes never make it.  Other guys work their way to the top with very modest gifts.  Whether you are talented or not, the only thing that is going to get you where you want to go is hard work…..”

And what’s the final piece of the puzzle?

PASSION.

Without it, the hardwork is just too hard.  Virtually all of the successful people seem

to carry that quality with them.  It doesn’t matter what you are pursuing Bobby said, if you don’t have a love for it, I would suggest you should go ant try something else, because eventually you will be disappointed. 

I totally agree.  I see the same thing with people who want to improve their fitness level.

If you do not plan to work hard, you are basically missing the boat.   

And what about that hard work?  Do you know what it takes to gain strength, build muscle and burn fat? 

Whenever you push through that discomfort of hard work and put your goals before your comfort your resolve is strengthened.  Feeling good after a good workout session helps reinforce a behavior that you are more likely to do the next time.  It actually gets better than coasting through a ho-hum workout  - which in time you will quit for lack of progress and mental and physical satisfaction.  You will want to workout and feel good about it.

Remember

INTENSITY = A LITTLE DISCOMFORT = FITNESS GAINS

Orr My Story -  Bobby Orr,  Viking, Penguin Canada Book, Copyright Robert Orr, 2013 p.72

Spring has Sprung - start off right with Dynabody Total Fitness!

Join now for the Spring Fitness Classes.  Start to get ready for a wonderful summer or aim to be your personal best!  Come out to the last couple of March classes and see what you’ve been missing.  Sessions run from  6:30 to 8:00 pm.

Register online at:

 Dynabody Total Fitness  - Tuesday April 8th

Dynabody Total Fitness - Thursday April 10th

or call: 832-9637 to Register by phone

To get updated info. regarding the Fitness Bootcamps visit my website:  Dynabody.ca or by emailing me at dynabody@gmail.com.

DTF CLASSES START JAN.21 & 23rd 2014

Yes it’s that time to work on the number one New Years Resolution. We have lots of space available! It’s already near the end of January and it seems that people have already fallen off the wagon.  Even on vacation when I went to “relax” the days I felt the best was after a workout.  Stop coming up with excuses!

January DTF classes run from  6:30 to 8:00 pm and cost is $79 each

Register online at:

DynabodyTotal Fitness FFT20-13 - Tuesday January 21st - Bannatyne School

DynabodyTotal Fitness FFT21-13 - Thursday January 23rd - Strathmillan School

Remember, if you book for one session and can’t make it you can always make it up.

Sign up and win a personal training session!  A $50 value!

Refer a friend/relative (new dynabod) and get a free t-shirt!

 

Congrats to Fitness Challenge Winners - New workouts available!

Congratulations to Joanne and Ione - two of the Fitness Challenge winners.
More winners to come!

Interested in a new workout?

Try the Fitness Challenge Bodyweight workout #2 or the "Go Animal" Workout.
Both available on pdf.  Just send me an email for a copy!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
ALL THE BEST IN 2014!

Merry Christmas Everyone

 Merry Christmas to all the Dynabods out there!

Survivors of the last DTF class of 2013!

LAST CLASS OF 2013 IS THIS THURSDAY DECEMBER 19th!

This Thursday Dec. 19^th is the last Dynabody Total Fitness Classes for 2013Come & celebrate my birthday with by working out with me! !  Join in - at no cost to you!  Bring a friend, spouse or co-worker. 

Note, we will be in the small gym at Strathmillan School 6:30pm start – South East door entrance.