Advertisement
According to new research from the University of Kent in the United Kingdom, those subliminal messages believed to make you eat more popcorn at the movie theater could be the key to longer workouts without the strain!
The study found that participants cycled on stationary bicycles 12 percent longer when they were shown quick flashes of happy faces versus sad faces. They also reported their workouts to be more enjoyable, despite the fact that the images flashed so quickly, many didn't register the expressions consciously.
The potential for this research is vast, but researchers are interesting in finding out how to apply these findings to smart glasses. “If they work, in the future it will be possible to use them to provide subliminal visual cues and improve performance during endurance competitions.,” lead study author Samuele Marcora, PhD, tells Yahoo Health.
Until those smart glasses end up in your workout bag, though, here are a few brain tricks you can use.
1. Don't call your workout "exercise."
A recent study found that people who were told a 30-minute walk was exercise reported feeling more fatigued afterward; on the other hand, people who did the same workout but were told it was simply a scenic walk felt less fatigued. “Make your exercise program into a game,” recommends James Gavin, PhD, professor of applied human sciences at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. “Vary your routine and be creative in what you do. The main thing is to be active. You can run backwards, sideways, in a grapevine step, and still get a great workout.”
2. Talk to yourself...
In another study done earlier this year, participants worked for an two extra minutes during a difficult stationary bike ride when they talked to themselves using phrases like, "You've got this." Participants also reported that the exercise felt significantly easier.
3. ...and when you do, talk to yourself in the second person.
In other words, instead of saying "I can do this," encourage yourself by saying, "You can do this!" “We found that participants who used ‘you’ in their self-talk not only planned to exercise more, but also reported more positive attitudes toward exercise than those who addressed themselves in the first person,” study author Sanda Dolcos, PhD, a researcher with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, tells Yahoo Health.
4. Set the right type of goal for yourself.
Studies show that moderate, specific goals work best because "every time you work out, have an idea of what you want to accomplish," says Mark Anshel, PhD, professor emeritus at Middle Tennessee State University and author of Applied Health Fitness Psychology. "The best goals relate to what you’re doing — for example, intending to run for 20 minutes or follow your strength training routine to a T — rather than how well you do it. These are known as process goals, and they’re superior because they help motivate you during the activity rather than waiting to the end of a sweat session to know the outcome," Anshel tells Yahoo Health. “Motivation is greater when success is achieved sooner than later, and when performance is under the person’s control, which makes the individual take responsibility for his or her success.”
What do you think about all these findings? Let us know what you think in the comments!
