Can simply smiling help you to burn fat? Absolutely! Let me show you how…
Speaking of smiling! I LOVE these guys! They ALWAYS make me smile!
We’ve probably all heard the old saying that “it takes more muscle (43 muscles) to smile than it does to frown (17 muscles)” well it’s true and by contracting those smiling muscles you can stimulate some pretty amazing things to happen in the body First off, let’s look at some of the benefits that smiling can have on your health:
Benefits of smiling:
- Decreases stress
- Decreases blood pressure
- Increases Seratonin (the “self-esteem” brain chemical)
- Increases Endorphins (the “happy” brain chemical)
- Improves your positive outlook
- Improves your immune system
- Increases natural pain killers (this would make a workout feel easier)
- Attracts other positive, happy people
So, let’s dig into some studies that have been done and we’ll loop it around to how you can burn more fat by showing your pearly whites…Then we’ll learn some ways to put more smiling into your day.
A Facial Feedback Hypothesis study showed that merely making a smile-like facial expression created stimulation of the areas of the brain responsible for happy, uplifting thoughts. The researchers applied this concept to exercisers. What the study showed is that if people smiled while working out, they perceived the work to be easier than before they began smiling. Revolutionary! What if you simply smiled you way through your next workout? Or even after each set? Not only would you be creating a positive environment so that your brain would associate your exercise with a good time, but you would also perceive the effort as being less than if you went without the smile. This could cause you to workout a little bit harder, therefore causing you to get a better calorie and fat burn. Love it!
Another study showed that runners running without sunglasses squinted quite a bit during their run. Squinting activates the frowning muscles. When these muscles were firing the negative thought centers of the brain were activated. When the runners put on strong sunglasses, their squinting diminished as did the igniting of the negative thought centers in the brain.
4 ways to add more smiles to your day
- Don’t feel like smiling? Fake it till you make it.
Bite down lightly on a pen turned in a horizontal position. This exercise will contract the muscles used to smile causing those positive brain chemicals to flow
2. Make a “Smile File”
Create a mental of a list of things, people, places, or events that ALWAYS make you smile. When you are in need of a boost open up the smile file and have a little laugh. Wanna know what makes me smile?…These guys…for real…ALWAYS!
3. Surround yourself with smile triggers
These can be pictures or trinkets that remind you of good times or good people. When your eye fall upon these you won’t be able to help your lips from curling up. If you work in an office that is less than desirable, having these go to visuals on hand can make your day MUCH brighter…No one can take away your happy thoughts!
4. Use your smile to create good habits
When your brain does something that it enjoys over and over, that activity soon becomes automatic. When you are trying to create new and healthy habits, reward yourself with a smile after you have completed the activity. The happy chemicals will be released and your brain will recognize that activity as something it likes to do.
Put these new skills into practice this week and get more out of your life!