研究發現：“想象鍛鍊”亦可健身

A new research study suggests that just thinking of exercising can have the same effects as actually hitting the gym, officials say.

最新研究顯示，想象自己在鍛鍊，也能達到實地健身的效果。

A recent study published in the Journal of Neurophysiology found that simply imagining exercise can tone muscle, delay atrophy, and even make your muscles stronger.

研究發現，想象鍛鍊可以調節肌肉，延緩其萎縮，甚至可以增強肌肉力量。該研究結果被髮表於《神經心理學》（Neurophysiology）雜誌上。

Researchers at Ohio University, according to the Breitbart News Network, conducted an experiment using two sets of 'healthy individuals.'

據美國布萊巴特新聞網（Breitbart News Network）報道，俄亥俄州大學（Ohio University）的研究人員對兩組“健康個體”進行了實驗。

The researchers wrapped the wrists of one of the sets in a cast and gave them instructions to sit still for 11 minutes, five days a week, for four weeks, and 'perform mental imagery of strong muscle contractions,' -- or, imagine exercising.

研究人員在其中一組實驗者的手腕上綁上測量儀，並要求他們每天靜坐11分鐘，每週五天，連續四周。實驗者們要利用這段時間“進行肌肉收縮的心理意象”，即想象鍛鍊。

The other set were not given any instruction.

另一組實驗者則不給予任何想象鍛鍊。

The results illustrated that the body and mind are more intertwined than we though.

實驗結果表明，人的身、心比我們原本所知的更爲交錯複雜。

At the end of the four weeks, the participants who engaged in the 'mental exercise' were twice as strong as those who didn't, Breitbart reports.

布萊巴特的報道指出，經過四周之後，接受過“思維訓練”的人比沒有接受的人強壯兩倍。

Additionally, those participants had a stronger brain because the exercises created stronger neuromuscular pathways.

此外，那些受過想象鍛鍊的人頭腦更爲強健，因爲這樣的訓練可以增強神經肌肉的通路。

Scientists have long known the connections between the brain's cortex and its ability to control and coordinate muscle movement, according to Ohio University's Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine.

俄亥俄州大學傳統骨科醫學院（Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine）表示，科學家們早已知道大腦皮層和其協調肌肉運動的能力有關聯。

Exercising imagery techniques are even commonly used by professional athletes to improve performance.

想象鍛鍊甚至經常被用於提高職業運動員的比賽成績。

However, the University's study is the first to prove that the imagery can delay or stop muscle atrophy.

然而，該大學的研究首次證明了想象鍛鍊可以延緩或阻止肌肉萎縮。

'What our study suggests is that imagery exercises could be a valuable tool to prevent or slow muscles from becoming weaker when a health problem limits or restricts a person’s mobility,' Brian Clark, a professor of physiology and neuroscience in the college said in a statement, according to Breitbart.

布萊恩·克拉克（Brian Clark）是生理學和神經學的大學教授，他說：“我們的研究表明，當一個人出現健康問題或行動受阻時，想象鍛鍊可以有效防止或減緩肌肉的衰退。”

With the new developments, imagery can be used to help people undergoing neurorehabilitation and can help control the effects of aging.

通過進一步研究，想象鍛鍊可以幫助人們進行神經康復治療，還能控制衰老的影響。

In the release, Clark described muscles as the puppets of the nervous system moved by the brain that acts as the string.

克拉克在實驗報告中描述到，肌肉就像神經系統的木偶，而大腦就是操縱它的線。

'This information may fundamentally change how we think about muscle weakness in the elderly,' Clark said.

他說：“這些信息可以從根本上改變我們對老年人肌肉無力的看法。”