BASS PRO MIDWEEK MOTIVATION - Listen to the experts

 

Hello runner friends!
Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series
MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog!

Now let's get started by talking about something that can not only improve your mood but your pace. A smile! It's true. And if you don't believe me, check out what the "experts" had to say about it... 

Simply moving your facial muscles in a way that mimics a smile can trick your brain into a more positive state, according to a recent study published in the journal Experimental Psychology. The research found that the physical act of smiling not only created internal positive feelings, but also caused participants to see the world around them in a more positive way, according to lead researcher Fernando Marmolejo-Ramos, PhD, a research fellow at the Centre for Change and Complexity in Learning at the University of South Australia.

The experts went on to say that a happy brain equaled a brighter perspective. And we all know that a happy brain starts with a happy face that comes from a smile. 

So at this point, some of you might be saying "But Melissa, I don't feel like smiling today." My response? Fake it. Why? Because when you force a smile, it emits feelings of happiness. You may have to do this for a while but your brain will eventually catch on. Just listen to what the "experts" had to say on the matter... 

Researchers from the University of South Australia had participants replicate the facial movement of a smile by holding a pen between their teeth, causing the corners of the mouth to lift. Even though participants' smiles were faked, their brains didn't know the difference, says Marmolejo-Ramos. "In our research, we found that when you forcefully practice smiling, it stimulates the amygdala, which releases neurotransmitters to encourage an emotionally positive state," he states. The amygdala is considered the emotional center of the brain, and plays a primary role in the processing of responses related to fear, aggression, and anxiety. It also factors into decision-making and memory. Creating positive feelings that aren't just about personal happiness but are also related to perception could have interesting implications for mental health, believes Marmolejo-Ramos.

So how does this help your pace? Well.... when we are happy, we run happy. And when we run happy, we run faster and longer with less effort. 

Kipchoge, who is almost always smiling, told reporters he smiles to relax and work through the pain of running a marathon, employing a strategy some runners have long believed to be true: that smiling while running can help you to run

more efficiently.

Don't believe me? Well then, listen to what the "experts" had to say about it... 

Researchers at Ulster University and Swansea University asked a group of 24 runners to wear a breathing mask to measure oxygen consumption and then complete four six-minute running blocks on a treadmill while smiling or frowning. The study, which was recently published in Psychology of Sport and Exercise, found that runners who smiled used less oxygen, ran more economically and had a lower perceived rate of exertion than those who frowned and those in the control group. “They were 2.8 per cent more economical when smiling than when frowning,” says Noel Brick, lecturer in sport and exercise psychology at the University of Ulster and coauthor of the study. The reason for this difference has to do with facial feedback. “When we make a facial expression, we may experience the emotional state we associate with the expression,” says Brick. “We associate smiling with happiness or enjoyment, states that make us more relaxed, so when we smile, we are consciously trying to relax. By adopting the facial expression of frowning, however, we are experiencing an emotional state of feeling tense or less relaxed.”

While a 2.8 per cent improvement may sound inconsequential, it can translate to an improvement of roughly two per cent in performance time, says Brick. That means if you run a marathon in 4:20 or 4:45 (the average marathon times for men and women, respectively), you’ll cross the finish line about five minutes faster, while if you run a 10K in 55-64 minutes, you can shave a full minute off your race time. And if you’re clocking under 25 minutes for a 5K, just smiling can help you cover the same distance 30 seconds faster, a meaningful result for very little effort and, frankly, plenty to smile about. “Improvements in your running economy will be initially small, but a relaxed runner is an efficient runner,” adds Brick.

So there you have it friends. Those are just a few reasons that you should make a smile the first thing you put on every day (it's even more important than putting on your running shoes😊). And if you're still in need of reasons to smile then I challenge you to find ten things you have to be thankful for today; it can be anything from the sun shining through the window to your morning cup of coffee. Write them down and put the list where you can see it. Gratitude not only paves the way to happiness but has the ability to make a person smile when nothing else can. Don't believe me? Then just ask the "experts" who agree that "Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough." Does that make you smile or what? 

Happy Running!!!