Stop thinking about how you are not being as active as you should. Get moving! People who consider themselves lazy in comparison to others. Are more likely to die youngerEven if their activity levels were identical. [1]
People who believed they were less active than others are likely to be more active than they actually are. They weren’t reaping all the benefits of exerciseAll because of them negative attitude.
Octavia Zhrt is a Stanford PhD student studying organizational behavior. She says she has seen firsthand how toxic self-talk can make a strong effort seem lazy.
She said:
“I’m from Germany and I feel great about my exercise. I cycled to work and only went to the gym once a week.
Zahrt said that she felt “surrounded” by people who exercise every day when she arrived in California. They made me feel very inactive and that led to a negative attitude about my physical activity.
The ‘Side Effects of Negative Attitudes
This feeling of inadequacy prompted Zahrt to contact Alia Crum, PhD, her faculty advisor, to help. Study the potential effects of this attitude on your long-term health. The data were taken from over 61,000 adults, who were surveyed in 1990 to 2006 and then followed up until 2011.
Participants were asked about their activity levels and some were given accelerometers so that they could track their daily activity for one week. The volunteers were also asked if they felt more physically active than others their age.
Researchers found that people who thought they were less active than others were more likely to believe this. 71% more likely that they will die in the follow-up period. This was true even after adjustments were made for demographics, disability, general health, and actual activity levels.
It’s a lot of work to lift heavy things. You could also be bent over and lift a lot at work or tending the garden, and still have a high risk of dying.
Researchers found that participants were most often able to communicate with each other. They underestimated their activity levels When comparing oneself to another.
Zahrt stated:
It can be easy to compare our exercise with others, and not what is recommended for everyone. People think exercise must be running or going to the gym. They don’t recognize the many other activities they do, such as cleaning up after their children, walking to the grocery store, carrying their children, and so on.
Although it pains me to credit a saying that has become so clichéd, in this instance, it is gospel truth. Attitude is everything.
Crum was a ten-year old when she first discovered the “placebo effect” in exercise. She explained:
“These women were getting lots and lots of exercise but they weren’t thinking that their work was good exercise when we asked them.” [2]
Participants – all hotel attendants- were presented with a presentation explaining why all their heavy lifting, walking and physical labor at work was good exercise. Crum and her team then tracked Crum’s progress for a month.
Crum stated:
“The women who began to view their work as a good exercise saw improvements in blood pressure, and body fat.
She continued:
“What is surprising to me about the strength of the evidence on the influence of our mindsets on our health is that people still are shocked to hear such results.” [1]
Yes, how you think can affect your health (and many other things)
People shouldn’t There is so much scientific evidence to show that your thoughts can have a profound impact on your health. Let’s take a look at just a handful of examples.
- Positive attitude towards aging Stress can make you a kryptonite.
- Being optimistic Reduces stroke risk.
- Positive attitudes towards aging are a positive thing. Less likely to get Alzheimer’s disease.
The End…
It is important to view yourself as an active person. But be cautious, it could be very easy to Actually Backslide and be less active than you should. Recognize the importance of certain activities to be active, but don’t overestimate their value and then abandon other activities.
Another thing, and this is the truth, if your idea of exercise is going to the gym once a month or walking to the fridge every day, then telling yourself that you are active will not make it so. You are worthy to be. Realistic With yourself.
Crum stated:
This is not a reason to stop doing what you love, but it does mean that you should believe that you are doing everything. This is a reminder to be active in your life and not just to remind you that you need to do so. However, it’s also a reminder that you can have negative thoughts and their effects.
You don’t have to go to the Spin class or a fancy new fitness class just because you can’t do it, but that doesn’t mean that you aren’t as fit as others who did. [1]
Zahrt also agreed and added:
“If we can shift our perceptions so that we view all activity as healthy, it could be a very important first step in improving our health.”
Sources:
[1] Health
[2] NPR