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We gotta give it to Oscar-winning actors and actresses, like Lupita Nyong'o, for continuing to impress us with not only their acting skills but their strenuous fitness routines. Yes, the 38-year-old Star Wars alum works hard to maintain her shredded physique, but she does boast a small secret that helps her pull through an intense workout. And what is this simple trick, you wonder? You guessed it: smiling!
“When I feel the burn, I smile and it tricks my body into thinking I am fine. And then I am! #Fitnesscanbefun #SweatNSmile,” Nyong'o captioned her Instagram post. Perhaps this may explain why your hyper-energetic Soul Cycle instructor keeps smiling throughout their excruciating class that’s burning your thighs but turns out there’s a scientific reason behind this phenomenon.
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A 2017 study published in the journal Psychology of Sport and Exercise found that people showed a better “running economy” — a measure of how much oxygen someone uses to stride at a given speed — as they ran while smiling versus frowning or displaying a neutral expression. Additionally, the runners reported a lower perceived effort while grinning compared to grimacing. To test this, the researchers gathered 24 recreational runners for a series of treadmill tests and asked each to run with various facial expressions in order to measure their running economy. Overall, the researchers credited their results to a “reduction in muscular tension” that naturally occurs when people smile rather than frown.
While following Nyong'o's simple trick can impact your performance, perhaps another factor might keep you motivated to break a sweat: wearing great activewear! The actress certainly follows this principle, as she’s seen sporting a black, logo-emblazoned Nike set in the same Instagram post. Nevertheless, don’t forget to flash a smile the next time you see your life flash before your eyes during an arduous workout.
