The mind is unparalleled in its strength and in its ability to adapt. According to a study in Psychological Science, our mind can increase our physical strength when we view aging in a positive light. Generally, aging is considered a negative, especially in Western society, where we do everything we can—from extensive make-up to plastic surgery—to stay looking and feeling younger.
But what if we can reverse the effects of aging? What if it’s just a matter of controlling our thoughts?
The results of this study showed that even without exercise, physical strength function increased when “age stereotypes” and “self-perceptions” of aging were viewed positively. The study looked at 100 senior citizens (median age was 81), and tested them through implicit means and explicit means.
The implicit association exercise—in which participants watched positive strength-related words like “fit” and “spry” flash on a screen (not long enough to read, but long enough to see) along with age-related words like “old” and “senior”—demonstrated a significant improvement in physical functioning over the explicit association exercise. In the explicit test, participants wrote short essays about older people doing a physical activity.
The participants were also followed up to determine if the exercises had a long-term effect on their mental and physical functions.
Participants that did the implicit exercises had a greater physical improvement than participants around the same age from a different study that actually exercised for six months. The unconsciously-read words of the implicit exercises primed participants’ minds to think happier about aging and life, which caused them to perceive themselves as younger and healthier.
Clearly, our mindset is integral to our health. However, it’s not all in the mind; we won’t feel healthy or younger without a balanced diet, regular exercise and a positive attitude. At the same time, The Chopra Center suggests that our path to physical and mental health starts with self-awareness.
“When your awareness is contracted, the flow of energy and information throughout your bodymind is hampered,” writes Deepak Chopra, M.D. “On the other hand, when you expand your awareness, your energy flows freely. You’re more flexible, balanced, and creative.” If we are mentally aware of our mental and physical abilities, we have the ability to change and grow.
An article in New York Magazine that discusses the placebo effect emphasizes a similar point. If we believe we’re going to get better, that’s what tends to happen, even if we know we are taking a placebo! The same goes for aging. If we think of aging not as something to mask or succumb to, we’ll enter it gracefully and we’ll feel better about ourselves as it happens.
