Exercise – It’s All in Your Head.

Arnold talked about it in “Pumping Iron.”   Most trainees worth their salt exercise it, at least most of the time.  Of course, great coaches like John Wooden or Yogi Berra make it a must from their teams.

I’m talking about mindfulness, of course.  More than just mere mindfulness,  however – I’m talking about putting conscious intention into all of your exercise efforts.

There’s more to exercise success than merely showing up and going through the motions.  Exercising with intention – making the so-called “mind-muscle connection” – is more than just a bunch of bodybuilder nonsense.  When you’re determined to make your target repetitions and weights, your performance is better.  You get a deeper sense of fatigue and stimulation in your muscles.  And, arguably, you set the stage for better gains – at least, according to a study in the journal Psychological Science (full text found here.)

In this study, Drs. Langer and Crum examined the role the mind plays in the benefits received from exercise (vis a vis the “placebo effect“).  A group of 84 hotel room attendants were randomly divided into two groups and were tested for various measures of health (BMI, blood pressure, weight).  One group was given a consultation explaining that the work they do was good exercise; the other group, nada.

The end result?  The group that got the consults (that “believed” their work was exercise) lost weight, while the other group didn’t.  The informed group improved on other measures of health as well, and if the study is to be believed, the differences between the groups were nil (aside from the information sessions, of course).

The results imply that merely thinking about exercise’s benefits can amplify (or in this case, create) its effects.  Placebo – yes, but potentially powerful.

Next time you hit the weights, remember: practice mindfulness.  Exercise with intention.  Make the mind-muscle connection.  Put aside all the distractions and take some time back from your life for yourself.