Will going to the gym improve my mental health?
The short term and long term mental health benefits of resistance training
Not too long ago, I came across a YouTube comment which simply read “Lift heavy stone, make sad head voice quiet”.
Despite having simply been a repost from 4Chan, the line made something click in my head - the undeniable connection between physical fitness, in this context, bodybuilding and strength training, to mental health.
Does lifting heavy stone truly make sad head voice quiet? Today, we’re going to find out, looking at the short term and long term effects of resistance training, all backed by science.
The Short-Term
Unsurprisingly, resistance training has a greatly beneficial short-term boost to your mental health, as does any exercise.
One method by which this happens is release of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is believed to regulate emotions and stabilise mood.
In fact, it’s often used to relieve mood disorders like depression through the use of SSRI medication, the most commonly prescribed type of antidepressant medication.
Of course, we have the release of endorphins, chemicals produced by the body that relieve pain and boost mood. They’re typically released during pleasurable activities like exercise, although also during painful experiences like injury to act as a natural anaesthetic. There’s a range of benefits of endorphin release, including healthy immune system support, reduction of pain and discomfort, reduced stress, depression and anxiety and improved mood.
I could go on and on about the short-term benefits of exercise and what causes them, but I’d be here forever.
Essentially, yes - exercise makes us feel good. So, if you ever feel the need for a quick boost, drop down and do some push ups, go for a run, stretch out a bit - just do something to get your body moving, and you’ll undoubtedly feel better afterwards.
The Long-Term
When we look at how resistance training effects the brain in the long term, the TLDR, is, yes - there’s a tonne of data backing up the mental health benefits of lifting heavy things on a frequent, long-term basis.
One paper published in 2010 found that strength training was associated with an incredible variety of benefits, including reduction in anxiety symptoms, reductions in symptoms of depression in those diagnosed with depression, and improvements in self-esteem, amongst many other health benefits. I mean, the list goes on and on.
However, when doing my research, what surprised me the most was the recorded benefits to cognitive function.
In a 2019 meta-analysis of 24 different studies, it was revealed that, I quote,
“Resistance training appears to have positive effects on cognition; however, future research will need to determine why the effects are so variable.”
Another study found that one benefit of resistance training included lower levels of white matter atrophy - that being the loss of white matter in the brain, which refers to areas of the Central Nervous System made up of axons, nerve fibres that allow communication between different brain areas.
So, going to the gym may actually be doing more good for your brain than you might think, protecting you from potential memory problems, balance issues, depression and more, that all come as a consequence of white matter atrophy.
Conclusion
So, not only does lifting heavy stone make sad head voice go away in the short term, but it can also keep your brain healthy in the long term.
Have you found that your mental health has improved as a result of weightlifting? Let me know by reaching out on Instagram or commenting below.
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Take care, and lift some heavy stones!
- Tom
Sources:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1559827610368771?journalCode=ajla
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00426-019-01145-x?fbclid=IwAR2-lFbgQTyg4f82Up2Et5RFoxmKIgVPCBT7YzgVubJPilRMFeA-ajI6E5g&itid=lk_inline_enhanced-template
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s11556-019-0217-2
Interestingly, the time I tangled with suicidal depression, the episode started at the gym. Lifting probably helps a lot of people, but it's no silver bullet.