Exercise is often prescribed as a therapeutic intervention for various health conditions, including chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Although the benefits of exercise are well established, the mechanisms underlying these benefits are not fully understood. Researchers have long suspected that the placebo effect might play a role in the relationship between exercise and health.
In a study conducted by Alia J. Crum and Ellen J. Langer of Harvard University, the authors tested whether the relationship between exercise and health is moderated by one’s mindset. The study involved seven hotels that were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: informed or control. Hotel room attendants, who clean an average of 15 rooms a day, were recruited as participants. Four hotels were assigned to the informed condition, and three were assigned to the control condition. The study involved 84 female room attendants working in seven different hotels.
Those in the informed condition were told that the work they do (cleaning hotel rooms) is good exercise and satisfies the Surgeon General’s recommendations for an active lifestyle. Although actual behavior did not change, 4 weeks after the intervention, the informed group perceived themselves to be getting significantly more exercise than before. As a result, compared with the control group, they showed a decrease in weight, blood pressure, body fat, waist-to-hip ratio, and body mass index. These results support the hypothesis that exercise affects health in part or in whole via the placebo effect.
The therapeutic benefit of the placebo effect is so widely accepted that accounting for it has become a standard in clinical drug trials to distinguish pharmaceutical effects from the placebo effect and the placebo effect from other possible confounding factors, including spontaneous remission and the natural history of the condition. More generally, studies suggest that 60 to 90% of drugs and other therapies prescribed by physicians depend on the placebo effect for their effectiveness.
The placebo effect is a phenomenon in which a person’s expectation or belief about a treatment or intervention can cause them to experience a perceived improvement in their condition, even if the treatment itself is inert or has no active ingredients. In other words, the placebo effect is a psychological response that can occur when a person believes that a treatment will be helpful, regardless of whether the treatment actually has any physiological effect.
The placebo effect does not have to involve inert pills or sham procedures. Symbols, beliefs, and expectations can elicit powerful physiological occurrences, both positive and negative.
In the study conducted by Crum and Langer, the researchers investigated the role of the placebo effect (the moderating role of mindset) in the relationship between exercise and health. If the hypothesis is true, increasing perceived exercise, independent of actual exercise, would be expected to result in subsequent health benefits (a placebo effect).
These findings suggest that the perception of exercise and its association with health might play a significant role in the physiological benefits associated with physical activity. Although the study involved a small sample size, the results are compelling and suggest that mindset matters when it comes to exercise and health.
In conclusion, the placebo effect plays a significant role in the physiological benefits associated with physical activity. Beliefs and expectations can elicit powerful physiological occurrences, both positive and negative. As such, it is crucial to consider the role of mindset when it comes to exercise and health. Perceived exercise, independent of actual exercise, can lead to subsequent health benefits, highlighting the potential psychological control people have over their health. These findings have important implications for healthcare providers and policymakers, who might consider the role of mindset when promoting exercise and other behavioral changes for chronic diseases.
Key takeaways
- Mindset matters: The study found that subjects who were informed that their work (cleaning hotel rooms) was good exercise perceived themselves as getting significantly more exercise than before, even though their actual behavior did not change. Also improvements in weight loss, lower blood pressure, etc. were observed. This suggests that one’s mindset can influence the perception of exercise and potentially impact health outcomes.
- The placebo effect is powerful: The study supports the idea that the placebo effect plays a role in the psychological benefits associated with exercise. The mere belief that one is exercising can result in subsequent health benefits, even if the actual exercise behavior does not change.
- Health perceptions matter: There is evidence suggesting that health perceptions are related to actual health outcomes. By changing one’s mindset and perception of exercise, one may be able to elicit positive physiological responses and potentially improve their health
For further information you should check out the Podcast of Dr. Andrew Huberman with Alia Crum about the “Science of Mindsets for Health & Performance”. Truly one of the best and most insightful podcasts ever.
