Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Prescribing Placebos, Kelsey Cupp

BU Well

The use of placebos in medicine is an area of ethical questioning, but we often do not consider the effect of placebos on daily life. One’s preconceptions on the outcomes of exercise physically affect health. Studies show being aware of the advantages of exercise is beneficial to aspects of health such as blood pressure, blood glucose levels, and depression. This article analyzes how the placebo effect applies to exercise and how it can be taken advantage of to improve health outcomes.