Lose weight just by thinking about it… sounds too good to be true? Here’s some recent research that might just bring a smile to your face.
This has got to be one of my favourite studies of all time. For years I’ve been banging on about the value of ‘incidental’ exercise – all movement, not just organised exercise counts when it comes to health and fitness benefits.
That means vacuuming, active play with your kids, or getting your hands dirty in the garden can all be just as effective as a gym workout.
A recent ground breaking study takes this message one step further, showing us how to fine tune the potency of everyday movement. And it all comes down to your mind set…
This study used “housekeepers” who spend their entire working day engaged in the physical activity of cleaning and preparing hotel rooms. One group of housekeepers were informed of the benefits of exercise and given concrete information about the physical effects of their specific work tasks i.e. that just 15 minutes of vacuuming can burn 50 calories. They were told also that their typical workday far exceeds the national health guidelines for daily exercise.
The other group were given the same info about the benefits of exercise but weren’t informed that their work tasks actually constitute “exercise”. Comparing the results between these two groups could determine whether there was any benefit to being aware of what serves as exercise.
The study tracked the progress of the housekeepers after one month. After just four weeks of knowing that their job constitutes exercise, the maids lost an average of two pounds, lowered their blood pressure by 10 points and reduced their body fat, all without any change to their diet or additional exercise.
This change was created just by being mindful of their movement and its positive effects! The comparison group stayed in the same shape they were in at the beginning.
These results clearly demonstrate the power of the mind. So the next time you’re swinging your toddler around, acknowledge that you are indeed honing your abs and firming the biceps. The next time you take the stairs, connect with the fact that you are whittling down your thighs. As you move this week, look for ways that you can accelerate potential changes to your body just by harnessing the power of your mind.
Happy moving!
Love to all,
Suz xx
Want to boost your vitality, reclaim a state of calm or achieve better balance in life? Get in touch with Suzy! She is available for private sessions via skype, phone, email or face to face in London. Drop her a line today: suzy@suzyreading.co.uk
P.S. Want to know more about Ellen Langer’s “Chambermaid experiment”? Here’s a link to the research paper: http://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/3196007/Langer_ExcersisePlaceboEffect.pdf?sequence=1