Despite your best intentions, sometimes you crave something unhealthy. It’s okay to give in to those cravings once in a while, but it’s better to plan those indulgences rather than give in on a whim. For those times that a chocolate chip cookie beckons and you don’t want to eat unhealthily, there’s a simple “trick” that may help you resist the urge to nibble on the wrong thing at the wrong time.
Flex a Muscle – Stop a Craving
According to a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research, resisting a craving could be as easy as flexing or tensing a muscle. Sounds simple, but does it work?
In a recent study, researchers found that people have greater self-control and willpower when they actively flex a muscle. A group of students were asked to weave a pen between their hands and hold it tightly between their fingers while choosing a snack. When doing this, health-conscious participants were 140% more likely to choose a healthy snack like fresh fruit over an unhealthy one like candy or a butter croissant. Participants also made healthier choices when they asked them to tense other muscles in their body like their calves or biceps.
In a separate part of the study, subjects trying to lose weight who flexed their biceps were better able to resist a slice of chocolate cake.
What does this mean? The act of tensing or flexing a muscle seemed to unconsciously give participants more will power and greater ability to resist temptation. Interestingly, flexing a muscle had no effect on participants who weren’t concerned about what they ate. In this case, it didn’t help them make healthier food choices. The conscious desire to “eat healthy” seems to be a prerequisite. Flexing or tensing a muscle seems to “firm” a person’s resolve to do the right thing when faced with temptation – as long as the motivation is there.
A Simple Way to Boost Willpower and Resist Temptation
This isn’t the first research to show that flexing a muscle increases willpower. In another study, health-conscious subjects were able to drink more of a healthy tonic that tasted bad when they tensed their calf muscles at the same time. Other research shows that people can better tolerate pain while tensing or flexing a muscle. For example, subjects asked to hold their hands in ice cold water were able to do it longer when they clenched a pen tightly in one hand. Based on these studies, it doesn’t seem to matter what muscle is tensed. Tensing feet, fingers hands, fists, calves, etc. all seem to offer similar benefits. Making a fist or tensing a muscle seems to be helpful when you’re confronted with something painful, unpleasant or need the willpower to resist something pleasurable that’s also unhealthy – like a piece of chocolate cake.
The Bottom Line?
There are lots of “tricks” people use to resist temptation and muster up more willpower but this may be one of the simplest. Distraction works for some people. Instead of treating yourself to a glazed doughnut, pamper yourself with a fragrant bubble bath instead. Sometimes sniffing a fragrance like peppermint or brushing your teeth with a minty toothpaste is enough to nip a craving in the bud. For some people, reminding themselves of their ultimate goal – to be healthy – is enough. For others realizing they can have a small indulgence at a later time helps them delay immediate gratification. But if these aren’t enough to keep your cravings in check, try making a fist or flex your calf or biceps until temptation passes.
References:
Journal of Consumer Research. Vol. 73. April 2011. “From Firm Muscles to Firm Willpower: Understanding the Role of Embodied Cognition in Self-Regulation”
Psychology Today. “Clenching Your Fists Increases Willpower”
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