fitness · health · mindset · well-being · wellness · working out · workout tips ·Oct 17, 2022

Shift Your Mindset to See Improved Exercise Results

“Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.” - Henry Ford

Most of us have heard this famous quote by Henry Ford. It is a simple, yet powerful reminder that our success is directly impacted by the mindset we carry with us. When it comes to working out, there are a variety of goals one may set out to achieve. Whether you are trying to lose weight, lift more, cycle farther, or run faster, how you approach exercise will affect the outcome. Studies done on the placebo effect illuminate the power of the brain. This blog will expand upon this power and invite people to recognize the importance of mindset, and offer some tools for creating a positive attitude as they approach their fitness and wellness goals.

A fascinating study was conducted in 2011 examining how people’s thoughts affected the way a milkshake was digested. In the study half of the participants were told that the shake was a healthy, low calorie shake. The other half were told it was an indulgent 600+ calorie sugary treat. Both groups were given the same smoothie, which was about 300 calories. Over 30 minute intervals the conductors of the study tested the ghrelin levels of the participants. Ghrelin is a hormone produced by the stomach, known as the “hunger hormone". In the milkshake study, those that were told the shake was “indulgent” had a decline in ghrelin, and reported feelings of being overly full, whereas those that drank the “healthy” shake showed no increase or decrease of ghrelin. The research concluded that “participants' satiety was consistent with what they believed they were consuming rather than the actual nutritional value of what they consumed.” In other words the effect of food consumption “may be psychologically mediated, and mindset meaningfully affects physiological responses to food.” So what does this mean? In short, our mind can control how our body digests food. This is a revealing discovery. Our brains are so powerful that if we believe we are eating something healthy, we will digest it as such, and if we believe we are overindulging, then our bodies may struggle to process it… even if what we are eating isn’t unhealthy.

When we are rigid and strict and label food as bad, we actually make it harder for our bodies to digest. On the other hand, if you eat a cookie and tell yourself you deserve a cookie and trust that your metabolism can happily handle a cookie, well... then it will. But the power of mindset doesn’t just affect how our body responds to foods we consume. Mindset has the ability to influence the results of exercise and we can apply this knowledge to our fitness journeys.

One of the most interesting studies done on mindset and exercise was conducted in 2007 on a group of 84 house cleaners. The cleaners were told to report their level of exercise over the course of 4 weeks. The cleaners were split into two groups. One group was told that their job was high in physical activity and that they could report that as exercise. The other group was not told this and not encouraged to see their physical labor as exercise. Both groups of cleaners were told to not change or alter their exercise activity, just to monitor it. The results were astounding! Even though no significant changes were made in the cleaners' daily routines, the group that were told that their job counted as exercise “showed a decrease in weight, blood pressure, body fat, waist-to-hip ratio, and body mass index.” These results allowed the researchers to conclude that “exercise affects health in part or in whole via the placebo effect.” Put more simply, believing we are doing something beneficial for the body makes a difference, just as much as actually doing something.

So, what do these studies mean for the everyday exerciser? It means that the results of your exercising will depend on your mindset. You have the power to amplify the benefits. You also have the power to block and hinder results. If you hop on a bike with the attitude that nothing you do will help you lose weight, then chances are… nothing you do will help you lose weight. If you start a run on the treadmill with the thought that moving your body in this way is toning and shaping your body, then you may just see physical results even quicker.

This may sound like the bogus notion of a self-fulfilling prophecy. And in a sense, it is! But according to the studies… it works. Your mindset can make or break your results. One article reports, “Your mindset is simply a set of beliefs. Studies have shown that if you have a ‘growth mindset’ – the belief that your abilities and skills can be improved – then you will have more effective workouts.” Another science based article affirms, “Mindsets of fitness predicted exercise frequency, with stronger growth mindsets positively relating to self-reports of exercise frequency.” Still not convinced? Research continues to expand on the placebo effect and exercise. There really is little doubt. “There is evidence supporting the idea that the placebo effect plays a role in occasioning the psychological benefits associated with exercise [...] changes in reported physical activity appear to be attributable not to actual increases in physical activity, but to a shift in mind-set initiated by the information given to them in the intervention.”

Okay, so you’re finally convinced that your mind affects the results of your exercise. But getting your mind to a positive place and having a good attitude as you approach scary or intimidating goals isn’t always easy. Even though we may know we need a better attitude, it can be hard to know where to start.

Here are 6 ways to help you shift your mindset to help improve the results of your exercise.

1. Beliefs + Coaching

One fitness article suggests cultivating three main beliefs. First and foremost, you have to believe that you deserve the results. Second, you have to believe your efforts are worth it. And last, you have to believe you are capable of following through. If your first step on your fitness journey is a sarcastic “we’ll see how far this lasts”, chances are you will probably quit before you see any results. On the other hand, if you approach your workout with the belief that you deserve to feel good, your efforts make a difference, and you have the discipline to follow through, then you are more likely to make it to your goal, whatever that is. But believing in yourself is hard, so another great trick to help? Get a coach! Or a workout buddy. Or someone to remind you that you CAN do it. You are worth it. And your effort WILL yield results.

2. Visualize

Sometimes, we have to see it before we believe it! Make an effort to see the desired results in your mind. Imagine what you will look like and how you will feel when you reach your goal. According to some fitness gurus, “It’s through visualization that you reprogram your mind to help you reach your goals.” Visualization is a powerful tool we can use to help us on our fitness and wellness journeys. You may simply visualize yourself on the treadmill. Or visualize the number of miles you hope to bike showing up on the cycle screen. If you have a hard time changing your beliefs, try visualizing where you want to be and see if it helps shift your attitude toward exercising.

3. Clarify Your Why

It’s important to check in with yourself and get clear on why you are working out. If you are working out because someone else wants you to, or doing it from a place of self-loathing, then you might yield some undesirable results and feel anger and resentment every time you work out. Take a moment to sit down and write out the reasons why you choose to exercise or the reasons that made you set a goal. Fuelled Protein bar creators encourage people to ask, “Why do you want to lose weight, or gain weight? How will it make you feel? How will you look? If you have a clear WHY, you can figure out almost any HOW. Connecting with the reasons you started in the first place is essential to sticking with it in the long run.” It’s easier to have a positive mindset when we are clear on our “why”.

4. Define Exercise

Some of us may grow up with limited ideas about what exercise is. Like the cleaners in the study, many of them didn’t think of their job as exercise, even though they were on their feet all day, lifting and moving and bending their bodies in different ways. Exercise doesn’t have to mean going to a gym for 2 hours. It doesn’t have to be lifting weights or running up and down stairs until you feel like you might collapse. Five minutes on a treadmill is exercise. Rowing for 10 minutes is exercise. An article on growth mindset invites us to redefine exercise and recognize that small bits of it still count! Another common trap many of us fall into is thinking that exercise is the “bad guy” or “an enemy”. Some of us even make jokes about exercise being an arch enemy. This is not a good mindset to have. Instead of seeing exercise as something to fear or dread, can you see it as your best friend? Or as one blog suggests, exercise is your “good mood’s best friend”. Redefine exercise in a way that gets your mind excited to work out!

5. Reward Yourself

Our minds are complex, but at the end of the day, we are simple creatures. We work well when motivated by rewards. The same way that Pavlov's dog was trained, we, too, can train our minds into enjoying our workouts, by consistently giving ourselves a reward afterwards. Even though working out comes with its own natural rewards of feeling good and changing the body, it might be helpful to end your workout with something you don’t always indulge in. This is a common suggestion, but a lot of times our first thought is to reward ourselves with food. At least that’s my first thought. (Cookies, I reward myself with cookies.) But there are other ways than cookies to reward yourself. You might set a goal of three workouts a week and if you complete it, you gift yourself a massage. Maybe after a month of working out three times a week you buy yourself a new outfit. There are many creative ways to treat yourself after you’ve accomplished a goal. Write out a list of rewards, set some exercise goals, and when you hit them, treat yourself!

6. Be Open + Curious

Lastly, a great way to shift your mindset toward exercise is to be open and curious. Rather than hopping onto the bike with the idea that it’s going to be hard, step into the workout with a curious mind: "I wonder how this will feel today?". It might also be helpful to switch up your workout. Experts invite people to diversify exercise and movement. Sick of the bike? Try the treadmill! Tired of running? Try rowing! There are so many different ways to move the body. If you have a negative attitude towards a specific type of exercise, then switch it up! Don’t be scared to try something new!

Moving the body is important, yes. But the mindset we bring to that movement has radical effects on the results of our movement. Remember the power of your mind and take the time to cultivate thoughts that will support your desired outcome. What you do matters. What you think matters just as much.

Article by Bridget Lavin

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