We’ve all heard the expression, ‘a winning smile’, but who knew that showing off those pearly whites could actually give you the edge in sport? The Science Bit Endurance is affected by many psychological factors, one of which is perceived effort - how hard we FEEL we are working during a workout. SMILING during exercise may lower our perceived effort. The result? The workout feels easier, so our endurance improves. Let’s see if it’s true of those Mountain Climbers..
There’s more... By consciously choosing to smile, we also re-wire our brain to a more positive mindset and relax the muscles, thereby boosting physical performance a notch further. Smile shy? If you can’t face the curious looks of wearing a real runners grin, why not try the inner smile method - a Taoist Meditation practice - which is supposedly an effective way of internalising the positive qualities of a genuine smile. Who knew?!