Exercising in front of a mirror

[Irishgirl]

Just read this on CNN


Study finds mirrors hinder women's workouts
Wednesday, September 24, 2003 Posted: 10:19 AM EDT (1419 GMT)



WASHINGTON (AP) -- Mirrors are as common as paint on the walls of health clubs, but what is so inspiring about watching yourself gasping and drenched in sweat?

For exercise novices, not much, according to one study, which found that women who exercised in front of a mirror felt worse than women who exercised without them.

"Placing mirrors in exercise centers may need to be reconsidered, especially in centers that are trying to attract exercise initiates," said the study in the American Psychological Association journal Health Psychology.

The researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, looked at 58 sedentary women with an average age of almost 21. The women first answered questions about how they felt their bodies looked, how confident they were in their ability to ride an exercise bike, and what their mood was -- whether, for instance, they felt "calm" or "worn-out."

The women rode the exercise bike twice, at a moderate intensity, for 20 minutes, one week apart. In one ride, they were in a mirrored room; in the other, the mirrors were covered by curtains.

After each ride, the women answered again the same sort of questions they had answered in the beginning.

When women rode while they could watch themselves in the mirror, they wound up feeling worse than they did when they could not look at themselves, the study found. For example, the mirrored rides left women feeling less calm and more fatigued.

This can't be simply a case in which women who watch themselves exercise come away with a worse opinion of their own bodies, said researcher Kathleen Martin Ginis, an associate professor of health and exercise psychology at McMaster. These women on average were not overweight, and even women with high body-image scores felt worse after exercising in front of a mirror, she said.

Other studies had found that gazing into a mirror tends to make a person feel worse, Ginis said.

It's not just the body, either. Even without exercise, periods of staring into a mirror make people start to think about their other flaws as well. "We tend to be quite critical," she said.

The mirror effect
Exercise, on the other hand, tends to make people leave feeling better about themselves, and the study was designed to see if the exercise effect outweighed the mirror effect.

It did not, and the psychological tests picked that up. "This is the kind of thing where people come away thinking, 'I don't feel that great,'" she said.

Women who hadn't exercised before typically have low expectations of how well they would be able to exercise, and the women in this study probably felt the mirrors proved them right, the researchers said.

Although the study did not look at men, Ginis suspects men might have some of the same reactions, although less strongly, because men tend to be less self-critical than women.

The findings indicate that health club operators should start changing their decor, the researchers said. "If a bout of exercise leaves a sedentary woman feeling worse than before she worked out, it will be difficult to persuade her to establish a regular exercise program," they said.

This fits the experiences of Curves International, a fast-growing chain that focuses on women, especially those who are not competitive. Members don't want mirrors, said founder Gary Heavin. "When we didn't put them in, they could concentrate on having fun," he said.

However, the bad experience with mirrors may not be true of more advanced exercisers, the study said. Other researchers have found that highly active women who exercised in front of a mirror felt better for it, possibly because they got to show themselves how good they did.

And Ginis is not about to bring upon herself the amount of bad luck that would develop if every health club in North America trashed its mirrors on her say-so. Mirrors are necessary equipment that help people such as weight trainers confirm they are doing their moves properly, she said. She suggested that clubs create mirror-free zones for women who are getting started.

[Hollywood]

I like mirrors! I like watching my muscles pump

[petite]

I like the mirrors too!

[Starr]

I love the mirrors too! But then again, this article is talking about "ordinary" girls, and we are definitely NOT ordinary!!

[petite]

Originally posted by Starr
I love the mirrors too! But then again, this article is talking about "ordinary" girls, and we are definitely NOT ordinary!!

Good point!

[THE BOUNCER]

thats cause all you women have big fat asses! :p

[petite]

Originally posted by THE BOUNCER
thats cause all you women have big fat asses! :p

not this woman!

[Puddles]

I like the mirrors when I'm doing dumbell work so I can see wtf I'm doing. I've learned to not look at my face when I'm doing shrugs though. LOL

[Hollywood]

Originally posted by THE BOUNCER
thats cause all you women have big fat asses! :p

Yeah, well your brother likes my ass

[Irishgirl]

Originally posted by Hollywood
Yeah, well your brother likes my ass

So do I

[dino]

I like looking in the mirrors as well. It helps me see what has improved, and what still needs work....

Plus I can look around the room at the hot men without them knowing I;m staring at them......

[Aurora]

Originally posted by dino


Plus I can look around the room at the hot men without them knowing I;m staring at them......

HaHa! EXAAAACTLY!

[dreamgirl]

i know, I like when I am running on a tradmill watching my arms and how they flex and look really cut! did i just admit that? LOL

[Puddles]

Originally posted by dreamgirl
i know, I like when I am running on a tradmill watching my arms and how they flex and look really cut! did i just admit that? LOL

You sure did!

I'm still at the needing to hold on for ballance level. Luckilly there are no mirrors by the cardio section in my gym or I'd watch my belly and thighs jiggle and wanna hide.

[dreamgirl]

thanks mrs. p I was hoping that I wasn't the only one who did this, but I think I am lol... how funny. well, hope everyone got a good laugh out of it.

[Puddles]

LOL Dreamgirl...if I had your body I'd probably do the same thing! Enjoy yourself...that's what it's all about.

[dreamgirl]

thanks mrs. p!