Use your head to lose weight
The statement that optimising one’s figure is also a question of mind is old hat. Just how far this influence really goes was unknown until now. People who regularly and consciously exercise are healthier, slimmer and fitter than those who find exercise a necessary evil, according to a study by Harvard University.
The scientists sought out 84 busy chamber maids and divided them into two groups. The health benefits of physical labour were explained to one group, but not to the other. Each woman cleaned an average of 15 rooms each day, each room taking about 20 to 30 minutes of effort.
After four busy weeks, the chamber maids who knew the meaning of work had shed a number of pounds. Their blood pressure and body fat levels had also significantly improved. The comparison group showed neither any weight loss nor an improvement in their work efforts.
Those responsible for the study suggest this proves that both figure and health are also improved by attitude, irrespective of whether the resulting physiological changes are direct or indirect. For this reason, it is advisable to not just encourage sufficient exercise, but also to change one’s attitude to exercise.
The effect of mental work can also be used in different ways. Hypnosis is available for losing weight, where it is primarily the subconscious that is spoken to. Another theory promises the pounds will fall off through visualisation; one should visualise their own ideal image, and imagine themselves slim and fit. Apparently, this helps in the effort to get slim. Try it!