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Study: Believing In Your Workout Can Lead To Better Results

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- If you go to most gyms in the middle of the afternoon you'll notice it's a bit crowded there. You've probably stood in line waiting for a stationary bike or elliptical, but before you got all cranky waiting, what was your attitude like?

Were you excited and optimistic about going to the gym, or did you cringe at the thought of working out?

You may think, what does that matter as long as I'm working out. Well, new research suggests that your mindset about working out may make as much of a difference as the workouts themselves.

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According to the research out of Germany, believing in an exercise can increase the benefits of doing the exercise.

76 people were randomly assigned to groups and had to watch videos, some seeing images that positively described the impact of cycling and some who saw the opposite. People also were interviewed regarding their typical attitudes toward working out.

The research showed that people with a positive outlook on cycling enjoyed the workout more, but also had a greater output of energy while cycling.

So, the moral of the story seems to be to believe a little bit more the next time you work out.

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