2723: Think Yourself Fit: How Attitude Affects Results by Margo White of Les Mills on Mindset & Physical Fitness

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[00:01:08] [SPEAKER_01]: This is Optimal Health Daily.

[00:01:10] [SPEAKER_01]: Think Yourself Fit.

[00:01:12] [SPEAKER_01]: How Attitude Affects Results by Margo White of lesmills.com and I'm Dr. Neal Malik.

[00:01:18] [SPEAKER_01]: Welcome back to Optimal Health Daily where I read to you every day covering the best health and fitness blogs,

[00:01:24] [SPEAKER_01]: with permission from the websites of course, and always with a bit of my commentary at the end.

[00:01:29] [SPEAKER_01]: Alright and with that, let's get right to today's post as we optimize your life.

[00:01:38] [SPEAKER_01]: Think Yourself Fit.

[00:01:40] [SPEAKER_01]: How Attitude Affects Results by Margo White of lesmills.com

[00:01:45] [SPEAKER_01]: To adapt a famous line from philosophy, quote,

[00:01:48] [SPEAKER_01]: I think I'm fit, therefore I am.

[00:01:53] [SPEAKER_01]: End quote.

[00:01:54] [SPEAKER_01]: Could the well-recognized placebo effect in medicine also apply to fitness and exercise?

[00:02:00] [SPEAKER_01]: The science suggests it does.

[00:02:03] [SPEAKER_01]: In 2007, a remarkable study was published that demonstrated a seemingly clear link

[00:02:08] [SPEAKER_01]: between mental expectations and physical outcomes in exercises.

[00:02:12] [SPEAKER_01]: The researchers took 84 female hotel attendants, most of whom believed they didn't get enough exercise,

[00:02:20] [SPEAKER_01]: and gave half the group a 15-minute presentation explaining how by simply doing their jobs cleaning hotel rooms,

[00:02:27] [SPEAKER_01]: they were meeting the surgeon general's recommendations for an active lifestyle.

[00:02:32] [SPEAKER_01]: The other half weren't told anything.

[00:02:35] [SPEAKER_01]: After four weeks, both groups were assessed.

[00:02:37] [SPEAKER_01]: While their behavior hadn't changed, the group that had received the presentation

[00:02:42] [SPEAKER_01]: had lost weight, lost body fat, and had lower systolic blood pressure.

[00:02:48] [SPEAKER_01]: They also reported greater job satisfaction.

[00:02:50] [SPEAKER_01]: There was no change in the control group.

[00:02:54] [SPEAKER_01]: While the physiological effects weren't huge, they were significant enough

[00:02:57] [SPEAKER_01]: to show that when it comes to exercise, mindset matters.

[00:03:02] [SPEAKER_01]: Was this a case of an exercise placebo effect?

[00:03:06] [SPEAKER_01]: Placebo is typically used to describe the health benefits of a drug or remedy

[00:03:10] [SPEAKER_01]: that can be attributed to expectation of its efficacy, rather than its actual properties.

[00:03:17] [SPEAKER_01]: There is also a nocebo effect, which refers to the negative power of the mind

[00:03:22] [SPEAKER_01]: to harm rather than heal.

[00:03:25] [SPEAKER_01]: We can think ourselves well and we can think ourselves sick.

[00:03:29] [SPEAKER_01]: To a certain extent it seems we can also think ourselves fit.

[00:03:32] [SPEAKER_01]: The lead author of the Hotel Attendant study, Aliyah Krum, is now an assistant professor

[00:03:38] [SPEAKER_01]: of psychology at Stanford University.

[00:03:40] [SPEAKER_01]: In an excellent TED talk on the subject, she argues for a better understanding

[00:03:45] [SPEAKER_01]: of how mindset can play a dramatic role in determining health and well-being.

[00:03:50] [SPEAKER_01]: More recently, she co-authored a study showing the inverse

[00:03:53] [SPEAKER_01]: that thinking you're less active than you are

[00:03:56] [SPEAKER_01]: can actually be dangerous to your well-being.

[00:03:59] [SPEAKER_01]: The researchers analyzed surveys from more than 60,000 adults

[00:04:04] [SPEAKER_01]: from three national data sets, which documented levels of physical activity,

[00:04:09] [SPEAKER_01]: health and other measures.

[00:04:11] [SPEAKER_01]: They looked at death records 21 years after the first survey was completed.

[00:04:15] [SPEAKER_01]: Using statistical modeling, accounting for age, body type, illness and so on,

[00:04:21] [SPEAKER_01]: they found that those who believed they were less active than their peers

[00:04:24] [SPEAKER_01]: were 71% more likely to die than those who believed they were more active.

[00:04:30] [SPEAKER_01]: As the study emphasized, simply thinking you're unfit won't kill you

[00:04:34] [SPEAKER_01]: and thinking you are fit isn't an excuse to avoid exercise.

[00:04:38] [SPEAKER_01]: What it does suggest is that people should be aware of their own physical activity levels

[00:04:43] [SPEAKER_01]: and perhaps not compare themselves to others.

[00:04:47] [SPEAKER_01]: If you feel good like the hotel room attendants,

[00:04:50] [SPEAKER_01]: you are more likely to build on your existing activity level,

[00:04:53] [SPEAKER_01]: feeling bad about how little exercise you think you do

[00:04:56] [SPEAKER_01]: can put you off from doing any and build on feelings of fear, anxiety or depression.

[00:05:03] [SPEAKER_01]: Similar findings emerged from a recent study into how people's expectations

[00:05:07] [SPEAKER_01]: or beliefs about their physical fitness affected their perception

[00:05:11] [SPEAKER_01]: of how strenuous a physical activity was.

[00:05:14] [SPEAKER_01]: The researchers at the Department of Sports Science

[00:05:16] [SPEAKER_01]: at the University of Freiburg in Germany recruited 78 women

[00:05:20] [SPEAKER_01]: between 18 and 32 years of age with similar levels of fitness

[00:05:24] [SPEAKER_01]: and asked each of them,

[00:05:26] [SPEAKER_01]: how athletic do you think you are?

[00:05:29] [SPEAKER_01]: Participants then rode a stationary bicycle for 30 minutes at moderate intensity

[00:05:33] [SPEAKER_01]: and were asked every 5 minutes how arduous they found the activity.

[00:05:39] [SPEAKER_01]: Those who believed that they were more athletic

[00:05:40] [SPEAKER_01]: described the exercise as much less arduous than those who were just as fit

[00:05:45] [SPEAKER_01]: but who didn't rate themselves as such.

[00:05:47] [SPEAKER_01]: This latter group found the exercise far more difficult than people

[00:05:51] [SPEAKER_01]: with their level of fitness should have.

[00:05:53] [SPEAKER_01]: Furthermore, the researchers decided to look at the possible placebo effect

[00:05:57] [SPEAKER_01]: of wearing a compression shirt.

[00:06:00] [SPEAKER_01]: They found it didn't make a difference for those who regarded themselves as sporty.

[00:06:04] [SPEAKER_01]: For those who didn't, it made the exercise seem less arduous.

[00:06:08] [SPEAKER_01]: Said the authors, quote,

[00:06:10] [SPEAKER_01]: The results imply that people with negative attitudes

[00:06:13] [SPEAKER_01]: about their physical abilities in particular

[00:06:15] [SPEAKER_01]: may get what they pay for

[00:06:18] [SPEAKER_01]: in the manner of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

[00:06:21] [SPEAKER_01]: End quote.

[00:06:23] [SPEAKER_01]: In other words, if the shirt fits and makes you feel fit, then wear it.

[00:06:28] [SPEAKER_01]: Tips to feeling and being fit.

[00:06:31] [SPEAKER_01]: Embrace any opportunity to be physically active.

[00:06:35] [SPEAKER_01]: Take into account all the physical activity you do that's not exercise specific.

[00:06:39] [SPEAKER_01]: The energy you expend during everyday activities is called

[00:06:43] [SPEAKER_01]: non-exercise activity thermogenesis, abbreviated neat.

[00:06:47] [SPEAKER_01]: And it comes from simple things such as

[00:06:49] [SPEAKER_01]: walking, cleaning, gardening, shopping, and even fidgeting.

[00:06:55] [SPEAKER_01]: Concentrate on your own activity and fitness level.

[00:06:58] [SPEAKER_01]: Don't compare what you do to others.

[00:07:01] [SPEAKER_01]: Avoid dwelling on missed exercise opportunities.

[00:07:03] [SPEAKER_01]: Instead, think about the physical activity you have done.

[00:07:06] [SPEAKER_01]: And be positive. Any activity is good activity.

[00:07:15] [SPEAKER_01]: You just listened to the post titled

[00:07:17] [SPEAKER_01]: Think Yourself Fit, How Attitude Effects Results

[00:07:21] [SPEAKER_01]: by Margot White of lesmills.com

[00:07:23] [SPEAKER_01]: and I'll be right back with my commentary.

[00:07:26] [SPEAKER_01]: Dr. Neal here for my commentary.

[00:07:29] [SPEAKER_01]: Now some of us may not believe in this idea of a placebo effect

[00:07:32] [SPEAKER_01]: having any real effect on our bodies or our health.

[00:07:35] [SPEAKER_01]: So we may not really believe in the study outcomes

[00:07:39] [SPEAKER_01]: today's author Margot shared.

[00:07:41] [SPEAKER_01]: But to get us to try and believe, one experiment

[00:07:44] [SPEAKER_01]: is to simply imagine a stressful situation

[00:07:47] [SPEAKER_01]: like getting in front of our entire office

[00:07:50] [SPEAKER_01]: or in front of our entire class

[00:07:52] [SPEAKER_01]: and giving an unplanned 30 minute speech.

[00:07:55] [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, and if the speech doesn't go well,

[00:07:57] [SPEAKER_01]: we're going to be fired or we'll receive an F in that class.

[00:08:02] [SPEAKER_01]: Or imagine when someone cuts you off in traffic.

[00:08:04] [SPEAKER_01]: If we really imagine these things,

[00:08:07] [SPEAKER_01]: think about how you're feeling.

[00:08:10] [SPEAKER_01]: You can imagine we would expect to experience some stress

[00:08:12] [SPEAKER_01]: so our heart may start to beat faster.

[00:08:16] [SPEAKER_01]: Our palms may become sweaty.

[00:08:17] [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe our stomachs will start to gurgle a bit.

[00:08:21] [SPEAKER_01]: These are all real physical symptoms of something

[00:08:23] [SPEAKER_01]: that was completely imagined.

[00:08:26] [SPEAKER_01]: There's no actual 30 minute speech to be given.

[00:08:29] [SPEAKER_01]: But the mere act of me suggesting it,

[00:08:31] [SPEAKER_01]: the mind believed it was real

[00:08:34] [SPEAKER_01]: and real physical effects started to happen.

[00:08:37] [SPEAKER_01]: Now if that didn't work, we can try this.

[00:08:40] [SPEAKER_01]: Imagine drinking a tall glass of super sweet lemonade.

[00:08:45] [SPEAKER_01]: Can you picture it?

[00:08:46] [SPEAKER_01]: Okay, now imagine that the lemonade

[00:08:49] [SPEAKER_01]: didn't have any added sugar

[00:08:51] [SPEAKER_01]: and we just drank a tall glass of pure lemon juice.

[00:08:55] [SPEAKER_01]: Did you notice any changes?

[00:08:57] [SPEAKER_01]: Particularly to the salivary glands.

[00:08:59] [SPEAKER_01]: Usually those little glands under the tongue

[00:09:01] [SPEAKER_01]: become hyperactive even at the simple suggestion

[00:09:04] [SPEAKER_01]: of imagining something sour tasting.

[00:09:07] [SPEAKER_01]: Here again is another simple example

[00:09:09] [SPEAKER_01]: of something imagined causing physical symptoms to appear.

[00:09:14] [SPEAKER_01]: Okay, so hopefully one or both of these experiments

[00:09:16] [SPEAKER_01]: made us believers in this idea that

[00:09:18] [SPEAKER_01]: the placebo effect can lead to real physical changes.

[00:09:23] [SPEAKER_01]: Alright, that'll do it for today's episode.

[00:09:25] [SPEAKER_01]: I hope you're having a great day

[00:09:27] [SPEAKER_01]: and I'll be back here tomorrow for a usual Friday Q&A

[00:09:30] [SPEAKER_01]: and where your optimal life awaits.