EndurElite Chief Endurance Officer Matt Mosman discusses if smiling when your running, riding or doing an obstacle course race can help you go faster and make exercise seem easier.

Smiling During Exercise Makes It Easier

Ever wonder if smiling while you’re running, riding, or doing an obstacle course race can help you go faster and make the exercise easier?

• Sometimes you'll see top level athletes smiling during races. Are these whackos really having fun while they're suffering in the pain cave?
• Probably not but there may be another reason behind why they decide to smile.
• And this is because it may enhance performance by improving exercise economy (lowers the oxygen cost of exercise) and reducing RPE (how hard exercise feels).
• So why is it that smiling periodically during training and racing improves these two variables?
• Researchers think it is due to smiling promoting a sense of relaxation. Link to full articles/studies here http://tinyurl.com/y3qm33au.