Work out? Why bother?

November 12, 2001 12:49 PM

Work out? Why bother? Study shows that imaginary exercise builds muscles. Now if only imaginary friends worked the same way.
posted by o2b (22 comments total)

Now if only imaginary friends worked the same way.
huh? they do...
mumble mumble... mutter...chuckle
posted by quonsar at 1:04 PM on November 12, 2001

what about just considering exercise? now that I could go for!
posted by Katy Action at 1:07 PM on November 12, 2001

sounds better than doing butt clenches at work all day.
not that i do that.
posted by moz at 1:08 PM on November 12, 2001

now if only you could learn quantum mechanics by pretending to study....
posted by mattpfeff at 1:13 PM on November 12, 2001

the human body is amazing. I want one!
posted by mcsweetie at 1:21 PM on November 12, 2001

I've been imagining working my muscles for years, seriously. I forget once and a while, but when I consitantly thought about flexing and working muscles, I saw a difference. Try it, you'll like it. I agree with this study 100%. "Its not fair, how do you stay in shape w/o working out?"
posted by tomplus2 at 1:22 PM on November 12, 2001

Oh, thank you for this post o2b. I am saved. I'm going to lie on my waterbed 10 minutes longer, every morning, and think of my belly.
Or will it only work on pinkies?
posted by ginz at 1:34 PM on November 12, 2001

Now if only imaginary friends worked the same way.

Huh? I don't get it. My imaginary friend works out all the time and he is buff.
posted by Fofer at 1:58 PM on November 12, 2001

Imaginary lovers
Never turn you down
When all the others turn you away
They're around
It's my private pleasure
Midnight fantasy
Someone to share my
Wildest dreams with me
Imaginary lover you're mine anytime
Imaginary lovers, oh yeah
posted by jpoulos at 2:03 PM on November 12, 2001

imaginary friends can be workout buddies. lefty and rosie, for instance.
posted by eyeballkid at 2:16 PM on November 12, 2001

Exercising my imagination or imagining my exercise - the weight loss conundrum. This could be the basis of a great new infomercial for the weight-loss crowd: The Imaginary Pinkie Exercise Plan: It lowers the metabolic rate and makes you more predisposed to weight loss. In other words, you tend to loose the inches faster the more you think about it"
posted by marc-hamilton at 2:33 PM on November 12, 2001

One, two. One, two. One, two.

Hey, this imaginary exercise is all right!
posted by MAYORBOB at 2:44 PM on November 12, 2001

Work out? Why bother? Well, imaginary hot young women in tights just isn't the same, is it?
posted by frednorman at 3:00 PM on November 12, 2001

Now if that only worked for breast augmentation...I must...I must...
posted by Quixoticlife at 3:22 PM on November 12, 2001

Weight Lifters have been using this technique for a while. They also lift really big heavy stuff, also.

From what I've read, the strength gains noticed in the first few weeks of any exercise program are mostly neurological, from the body learning to use the motor units that are already in the muscle.
posted by Doug at 4:05 PM on November 12, 2001

Why stop at imagining exercise? Just imagine you're already fit and attractive. Works like a charm.
posted by Fofer at 4:21 PM on November 12, 2001

I tried imaging working out. Unfortunately I then rewarded myself by imagining myself going to Baskin Robbins
posted by ilsa at 4:27 PM on November 12, 2001

If this worked, I'd be so buff by now people's jaws when drop when they saw me. But it doesn't. Trust me.
posted by benjh at 4:56 PM on November 12, 2001

I love imaginary exercise. I could watch it all day.
posted by dhartung at 5:15 PM on November 12, 2001

Man, with all these zingers we should be working for Jay Leno.
posted by Fofer at 6:41 PM on November 12, 2001

No brain, no gain.
posted by xiffix at 6:44 PM on November 12, 2001

This reminded me of a gaming peripheral I saw a few years ago that was being marketed as a "mind control" interface. With the bullshit detector way on, I tried it out and after a few moments realized it was responding to unconscious movements of my - guess it - middle finger, which had been responding as I concentrated on where I wanted to go.

It was pretty cool, but from that experience I can sorta see why this would work. But would the technique produce enough of a difference in major muscles to be noticable, in contrast with smaller muscles where smaller changes are more easily noticed?
posted by holycola at 6:55 PM on November 12, 2001