A fresh look at the Science of Visualization appeared in an article that a client kindly linked me to today.

Knowing that the use of vivid visualization is an important part of my coaching practice and a integral part of the Woman’s Fitness Blueprint, she wanted to be sure this came to my attention.  Thank you!

The article by S. Pillay specifies evidence of brain-body connections being enhanced through the use of visualization, and then extrapolates it to cultivation of a positive mindset during a time of economic crisis.

Of course, I take that into another direction as well:  that of actualizing and realizing your fitness dreams.

The article asks the question, is there really science behind “visualizing success”?

The brief answer to this question is: yes. Although visualization was regarded as “new age hype” for many years, research has shown that there is a strong scientific basis for how and why visualization works. It is now a well-known fact that we stimulate the same brain regions when we visualize an action and when we actually perform that same action.

For example, when you visualize lifting your right hand, it stimulates the same part of the brain that is activated when you actually lift your right hand. This shared area of brain activation when we imagine an action and perform it has been demonstrated extensively in the scientific literature.

In fact, athletes have known about this power for a long time. Expert athletes use imagery and visualization to run their races in their goal times. Studies have shown that these athletes first imagine running the race in the goal time in as much detail as possible and are then able to execute it after practicing visualizing this. One study showed that “…visualizations under hypnosis enabled nationally ranked Stanford male gymnasts to execute for the first time several complex tricks that they had been working on for over a year. The gymnasts were able to eliminate timing errors in the tricks, to increase flexibility, and, possibly, to concentrate strength…”

Tell your brain your plan in a thousand words, and it gets bored mid-way and wants to go to sleep. But draw it a picture, and it will respond with much deeper interest and attention.

In fact, this connects directly with EXACTLY what I have found to be true of the experience of women who are successful at achieving:

1. body recomposition and/or weight loss
2. recovery from injury
3. increased expertise in a specific athletic event
4. greater ease with previous life challenges
5. attitude shift when dealing with specific challenges
   

Really, the list goes on.

A big part of any successful venture, and that includes revolutionizing your fitness and getting into shape AND breaking the previous habits that have just been giving you what you’re getting, is a strong mental picture of where you want to go – and reinforcing it regularly.

It creates a frame of mind that keeps one aware of opportunities that may present themselves for furthering ones goals and life dreams.

Here is the article as it was linked to me today:

The Science of Visualization:  Maximizing The Brain’s Potential During The Recession

P.S. Srinivasan Pallay, the article author linked to above, responded to my comments:

I like your idea of it being a “frame of mind” because it emphasizes the point that the brain responds well to having frames since it makes processing information less overwhelming. so often people do not pursue their dreams, not because they’re not capable, but because they are capable of doing many things-so many, that their brains become overwhelmed about what to choose.

great to have a fellow coach on the same page…

© Lani Muelrath

Have you had experiences with the visualization process?  Share about it in comments below!