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There is research that shows imaging yourself doing exercise for the same amount of time you would otherwise exercise does have benefits.
That sounds dubious.
Nah, there have been legit studies.
It doesn't do much, and nowhere close to what actual exercise will do, but it's better than nothing at all by a small margin.
Iirc, the last study was done back around the turn of the century. I know I was still lifting at the time, and it wasn't long into the noughts that I had to stop doing that seriously.
And, if my memory isn't betraying me, it gives slight increases in benefits with exercise as well. I know that visualizing things in martial arts and other "muscle memory" activities improves performance of skills over not doing it.
Focusing on an idea in your mind regularly is literally mindfulness meditation, which has shit tons of research behind it improving people's psychological and physical wellness
It does sound dubious, but there are good studies on it. You aren't going make great gains, it just shows improvement that going without doesn't. This is why it is also recommended to really focus on lifting and be mindful of the exercise you are doing.
Yeah