People who believe exercise is good for them experience more health benefits, study finds

Researchers describe a ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ effect

Cyclists who had higher expectations were more relaxed, so had better outcomes

People who believe exercise is good for them may derive more mental and physical benefits from working out than those with lower expectations.

Researchers in Germany found people convinced of the health benefits of cycling enjoyed the exercise more and were more relaxed than cynics.

For the study, psychologists at the University of Freiburg asked 76 people aged between 18 and 32 to exercise for 30 minutes on a stationary bicycle.

They had been asked beforehand how much they thought they would benefit, and afterwards they filled out questionnaires about their well-being and mood before and after the exercise. The researchers also measured the participants’ brain activity with an electro-encephalogram (EEG).

Test subjects who started off convinced the cycling would have a positive effect on their health enjoyed the exercise more, and found it improved their mood and reduced their anxiety more than less optimistic test subjects.

The EEG also showed that participants who had higher expectations before the study began appeared to be more relaxed.

For the pessimists, however, all is not lost: the study showed that it's not all down to the person's predisposition.

Some test subjects were shown a short film ahead of the study that praised the positive effects of cycling. These participants experienced similar benefits to those who already inuitively believed in the health benefits of exercise.

“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,” lead researcher Hendrik Mothes said in a statement.

Mr Mothes added that the results probably also apply to other endurance sports like jogging, swimming, or cross-country skiing and said he intended to conduct further research to provide more support for his findings.