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We’ve all heard the assertions made about the power of the mind. Some of the more popular claims include the ability of the mind to manifest things once to your imagination, the power thoughts have to make or break your life, and how training the mind allows people to pull off feats that would otherwise seem impossible.

While some of these claims are an obvious exaggeration, there is truth to the idea that the mind is capable of helping you make strides towards tangible physical goals. This holds potential especially for those on a journey towards a fitter body and healthier living. One of the ways in which you can realize these goals with some help from your mind is through visualisation–specifically, visualisation of the positive kind.

The same principles are supremely beneficial to achieving fitness goals, self-motivation being one of the main benefits of positive thinking.

Positive Visualization – What is it?

Visualisation, quite simply, is the practice of imagining a future event. Positive visualisation is imagining the event going the way you would want it to. The things you imagine need to involve a specific action, and produce a distinct mental image of how you carry it out. Visualisation isn’t to be confused with anxiety, which is obsessing over everything that could go wrong in the future. It also isn’t the same as the ‘conceive, believe, achieve’ school of motivational thought, which is more gimmick than actionable advice.

Visualisation, on the other hand, is a well-documented method of performance amplification that is backed by a significant amount of scientific research. It is a tool that can be used to chart a course towards measurable goals. Further, it can be used to derive the motivation required to achieve targets in various spheres of life.

In terms of fitness and body building, positive visualisation serves as an amplifier for performance. It helps eliminates any possibility of the one biggest deterrent to health and well-being – complacency.

Positive Visualisation – How It’s Done

Positive visualisation is sometimes also called motor imagery. As the term suggests, it is the practice of applying your imagination to executing a coordinated motor skill, fitness routines and exercises in this case. For example, you might imagine completing a set of 10 pull-ups for the first time; not just the feeling of being done with them, but each step from standing in front of the pull-up bar, to grabbing a hold of it, to finishing each rep in the set.

Visualisation isn’t limited to imagining future events. It is also important to simultaneously tap into successes you’ve had in the past. Visualising past experiences during which you overcame a physical or mental barrier is an important step towards more such milestones. Doing so helps recall the physical experience of muscular stress and expenditure, as well as the thoughts evoked during that process.

In the same way, visualising previous instances of fulfilling physical tasks help overcoming strenuous tasks at hand.

Positive Visualisation – The Benefits

The benefits of positive visualisation are backed by a large amount of scientific research. One study concluded that mental training augments the cortical output signal, resulting in higher muscle activation levels and increased strength. This shows that our brains treat imagining an activity and actually doing it as the same thing. So whether you’re training for a marathon or working on your jab, going through the paces mentally will help you make progress towards better performance.  Positive thinking is mental strength 101.

Visualisation has also been shown to boost confidence. Imagining yourself playing a match in front of a large crowd or finishing a strenuous physical routine makes the experience feel less unfamiliar when it actually happens. The increased confidence means lesser stress and a lower degree of performance anxiety. It can also be used to expedite recovery from injuries, by imagining specific parts of the body being mended through rest and rehabilitation.

A common adage attributes physical fitness first and foremost to mental strength. Make Positive Visualisation your backbone to achieve your goals, and don’t look back ever again!

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Nutrisattva is a protein innovation company focused on developing natural protein nutrition for individuals across age groups, nutritional needs, and lifestyles. Founded on the belief that the strains of urban living requires a natural, informed and convenience-based approach to good health, Nutrisattva develops products built on the knowledge of nutrition science, fitness and Ayurveda.