Mental Health Benefits from Strength Training
A growing body of evidence is suggesting that strength training can provide significant benefits for the most important organ in your body - the one between your ears.
Training to Feel Better
How good do you feel after a hard workout?
More specifically, how AMAZING do you feel after a hard strength training workout where you pick up a lot of heavy stuff?
Something interesting has happened over the past few years. As a long-time fitness educator responsible for teaching individuals how to become personal trainers, almost anytime I host a workshop, the participants are asked to introduce themselves and explain how they became interested in fitness. I have not been keeping hard numbers, but it seems as if 30-40% of younger personal trainers started working out to improve their mental wellness.
Strength training, long associated with developing muscles for athletic and bodybuilding competitions, could actually be a potent intervention for enhancing mental health. The last post featured the health benefits from strength training, this post will review benefits for mental health, and why lifting weights could help improve your mood and overall mental wellness. Evidence suggests that consistent strength training delivers quantifiable psychological benefits, particularly for individuals experiencing depression and anxiety.
The healthcare industrial complex, specifically the mental health segment, has begun recognizing the connection between physical and psychological well-being. Strength training, traditionally associated with physical fitness, has emerged as a promising intervention for achieving and maintaining optimal mental health.
This is staggering because, 1) we are talking about the importance of caring for mental health, which is a critical issue, and 2) in 20+ years of teaching, it’s only been the past few that people have been making this admission of using exercise to manage mental health. The good news is that we are much more aware of our mental health and how to care for it. The better news is that something you are probably already doing could be a key component for developing optimal mental health.
How Strength Training Affects the Brain
Depression and anxiety affect individuals all over the world (myself included); far too often doctors are quick to prescribe a pill as opposed to encouraging a holistic solution that delivers far more benefits than any pill ever could. Exercise, and strength training, in particular, offers a wide range of mental health benefits, particularly for individuals struggling with anxiety and depression.
When it comes to how exercise changes the body, the fact is that we do not know for sure, but have developed hypotheses, tested with controlled studies, for how exercise produces results. And when it comes to the mental health outcomes of strength training, the possible benefits could be the result of biological, psychological, or social mechanisms:
Neurochemical Changes: Strength training stimulates the release of endorphins and hormones, chemicals that influence how tissues and organs, like the brain, function.
HPA Axis Regulation: strength training may help regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, reducing stress hormone (cortisol) levels .
Improved Self-Efficacy and Body Image: strength training improves self-perception, competence, and body satisfaction, contributing to reduced depressive and anxious symptoms.
Mental Health Benefits from Strength Training
Developing the strength to lift heavy weights can provide one of the most important mental health benefits: the confidence to do hard stuff; additional benefits for mental health include:
Improved Mood Regulation: Strength training stimulates the release of endorphins, neurotransmitters that have mood-lifting effects. This can contribute to a more positive emotional state and a reduction in feelings of sadness or irritability. Neurotransmitters such as adrenaline, dopamine and serotonin can have an immediate effect of making you feel better which means that when you lift weights, you are getting high on your own supply.
Enhanced Self-Esteem and Body Image: lifting heavy stuff isn’t the only thing that can boost confidence. We have all experienced the amazing feeling that happens when we reach a specific goal such as a bodyweight or hitting a certain number for a lift. Strength training gives you the ability to change your body the way you want, often resulting in a boost in self-esteem and a more positive self-image.
Reduced Stress Levels: If you hit the gym after work, in part to reduce the stress of your day, you are definitely not alone; strength training can help regulate the body's stress response system, leading to decreased levels of stress hormones like cortisol. This can improve your ability to cope with many of life’s stressors and promote an overall sense of calm.
Improved Cognitive Function: By increasing blood flow to the brain and increasing the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a growing body of evidence suggests that strength training may have positive effects on cognitive functions such as memory, attention, and executive function, helping to contribute to greater mental clarity and focus.
Increased Resilience: By challenging yourself to follow a schedule, make it to the gym and hitting your goals, strength training can foster a sense of resilience and self-efficacy. Hitting your goals in the weight room can have a direct effect on your ability to overcome other challenges, both physical and mental.
Social Benefits: Going to the gym at the same time everyday can become a social activity as you get to know the others working out on the same schedule. Plus, you may bump into friends, neighbors or colleagues where you can have the opportunity to get to know them in a more informal setting. In addition, participating in group strength training can provide opportunities for social interaction and making friends with others who workout at the same time, crucial for mental well-being. As a long-time instructor, I can attest to the fact that regular participants can develop friendships, shown by planning parties and get togethers outside of the gym. Want to make more friends on the road to better health? Join a gym!
Make Strength Training a Regular Part of Your Workout Program
There you go, by promoting positive neurochemical changes, enhancing self-esteem, and fostering a sense of control, strength training can be a valuable component of a comprehensive mental health treatment plan. To be clear, strength training is NOT a replacement for treatment; if you feel that you need help with a mental health issue, then check with your healthcare provider; however, strength training could be a powerful adjunct to therapy, much better than simply taking a pill.
Given its low cost, accessibility, and broad appeal, strength training should be promoted as an essential component of a holistic approach to better mental health. As you can see, with the numerous benefits for both physical and mental health, we will most definitely be seeing a lot more mainstream coverage about the benefits of strength training in the coming years.