Exercise does more good if you believe
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Exercise does more good if you believe |
The researchers invited 76 men and women between the ages of 18 and 32 in their research laboratory where they had to practice sport for 30 minutes on an ergometer. The participants were first separated into different groups and saw one of the films that praised the positive effects on the health of the bike or rented nothing at all. In addition, researchers asked the subjects if they already believed the positive effects of physical activity before the study. Participants completed a questionnaire that asked them about their well-being and mood before and after exercise. The researchers also measured the participants' brain activity using an electroencephalogram (EEG).
"The results of the study showed that our belief in the benefits of physical activity in our health have a significant impact on our well-being in the manner of a self-fulfilling prophecy (Pygmalion effect)," sums Mothes . The results show signs of a placebo effect during the year: subjects who previously believed that physical activity had positive effects on health before participating in the study also improved mood and reduced Of anxiety than subjects who were less optimistic. The study also revealed a neurophysiological difference between the study subjects: according to measurements of brain activity, participants who had higher expectations about the sport before the study and those who had seen the film about the benefits Of sport for health was more relaxed at the neural level.
The results are also likely to apply to other endurance sports such as jogging, swimming, skiing, etc. The researchers. "Positive beliefs and expectations certainly have long-term consequences, such as our motivation to enter the sport, and may be a key factor driving us to run, or vice versa, remain scattered in front of television. "
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