The Power of Positive Thinking

​​One day a traveler was walking along a road on his journey from one village to another. As he walked he noticed a monk tending the ground in the fields beside the road. The monk said "Good day" to the traveler, and the traveler nodded to the monk. The traveler then turned to the monk and said "Excuse me, do you mind if I ask you a question?".
"Not at all," replied the monk.
"I am travelling from the village in the mountains to the village in the valley and I was wondering if you knew what it is like in the village in the valley?"
"Tell me," said the monk, "What was your experience of the village in the mountains?"
"Dreadful," replied the traveler, "to be honest I am glad to be away from there. I found the people most unwelcoming. When I first arrived I was greeted coldly. I was never made to feel part of the village no matter how hard I tried. The villagers keep very much to themselves; they don't take kindly to strangers. So tell me, what can I expect in the village in the valley?"
"I am sorry to tell you," said the monk, "but I think your experience will be much the same there".
The traveler hung his head despondently and walked on.
A while later another traveler was journeying down the same road and he also came upon the monk.
"I'm going to the village in the valley," said the second traveler, "Do you know what it is like?"
"I do," replied the monk "But first tell me - where have you come from?"
"I've come from the village in the mountains."
"And how was that?"
"It was a wonderful experience. I would have stayed if I could but I am committed to travelling on. I felt as though I was a member of the family in the village. The elders gave me much advice, the children laughed and joked with me and people were generally kind and generous. I am sad to have left there. It will always hold special memories for me. And what of the village in the valley?" he asked again.
"I think you will find it much the same" replied the monk, "Good day to you".
"Good day and thank you," the traveler replied, smiled, and journeyed on.
  
New research indicates that people benefit more from exercise when they believe it will have a positive effect.  Psychologist Hendrik Mothes from the University of Freiburg’s Department of Sport Science and his team conducted a study demonstrating that test subjects derive more psychological as well as neurophysiological benefits from exercise if they already have a positive mindset about sports.  The team also provided evidence that test subjects can be positively or negatively influenced in this regard before engaging in the exercise.  The following study was published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine:

The researchers invited 76 men and women aged between 18 and 32 years to their research laboratory, where they had to exercise for 30 minutes on a bicycle ergometer. Beforehand, the test subjects were separated into different groups and shown one of several short films that either praised the positive effects of cycling on health or not. In addition, the researchers asked the test subjects whether they had already believed in the positive effects of physical activity before beginning the study. The participants filled out questionnaires asking them about their well-being and their mood before and after the exercise. Moreover, the researchers measured the participants' brain activity with an electroencephalogram (EEG).
"The results demonstrate that our belief in how much we will benefit from physical activity has a considerable effect on our well-being in the manner of a self-fulfilling prophecy," sums up Mothes. The results provide evidence for a placebo effect during exercise: Test subjects who already believed the physical activity would have positive effects before participating in the study enjoyed the exercise more, improved their mood more, and reduced their anxiety more than less optimistic test subjects. In addition, the study revealed a neurophysiological difference between the test subjects: According to the measurements of brain activity, the participants with greater expectations before the beginning of the study and those who had seen a film about the health benefits of cycling beforehand were more relaxed on a neuronal level.
The results likely also apply to other endurance sports like jogging, swimming, or cross-country skiing, reports Mothes. "Beliefs and expectations could possibly have long-term consequences, for instance on our motivation to engage in sports. They can be a determining factor on whether we can rouse ourselves to go jogging again next time or decide instead to stay at home on the couch." The psychologist is now working on his next project. He aims to study further effects of mindsets and investigate the question of whether and how they influence the experience of exertion during physical activity.
So many life lessons can be applied to all areas of your life.  Positive thinking is probably most linked to achieving business success or happiness, but as you can see it can also apply to exercise.  So the next time you step outside to take that walk, ride that bike or jog on the treadmill, remember that what you are doing, no matter how little or how much has a positive impact on your health.  Keep a positive mindset that you WILL feel great after exercising and that you WILL receive results.  This just may be the key to making these goals come true.
 
 Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg. "Believe it or not: Exercise does more good if you believe it will." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily,