Need a Good Reason to Close Your Eyes? Here You Go!
February 8, 2008 by Liberty Kontranowski
Filed under Easy Health Tips, Endurance, Exercise, Fitness, How To, Mental Health, Psychology, Your Body, Your Mind
Sorry folks, but we’re not telling you to hunker down for a nap here (although you’re certainly welcome to…it’s the freakin’ weekend, after all). Nope, what we want you to do is close your eyes for a moment and visualize yourself achieving a goal you’ve set (or plan to set). It can be anything from acing an interview to shutting the junk food cupboard to not losing your temper with your kids (hello, why does that last one really speak to me today? Anyway.)
This type of visualization is called “mind sculpture” and practicing it a mere 60 seconds a day is nearly as effective as daily practice in an instrument or sport. Now I guess we know why so many hoops players stand at the 3-point line forever before shooting, eh?
Even more intriguing, one study found that simply visualizing yourself running stimulates the same muscles required for physically doing so – and that the visualization technique can burn up to 25% of the calories you would if you were to strap on your tennies and actually go for that run. How cool is that? Exercise with closed eyes – brilliant!
I think I may have to take up this visualization thing with zeal – particularly on Monday mornings and Friday afternoons, wink wink. How about you? Give it a whirl?
