Most people underestimate the power of the mind. However, many health professionals use mind power every day. Doctors know that patients who maintain a positive attitude can boost their immune system and enhance their chances of recovery. Sports coaches use visualisation as a training tool. They encourage athletes in their charge to imagine success over and over again, until they eventually succeed
Interesting research
Burke’s Backyard scientist, Graeme Quirk, has some good news for couch potatoes. Research at Manchester Metropolitan University suggests that thinking about exercising can actually increase physical strength, without having to exercise at all!
The study involved three groups. One group imagined themselves doing strength training exercise twice a week for one month. They were instructed to go through every part of the workout in their minds, imagining their hearts racing, sweating, and feeling tired and sore. Another group actually did the workout, and the third group did nothing.
Four weeks later, researchers found that the average strength of the group who did the physical exercise had increased by 33%, while that of the group who imagined exercise increased by 16%. The control group showed no improvement.
Researchers think that the brain may not know the difference between an actual workout and an imagined workout, and that imagined exercise improves neural pathways in the same way as real exercise does. These findings may be particularly useful in rehabilitation, by speeding the recovery of people who can’t exercise due to injury.