A lot of people we coach talk about the mental transformation that came with lifting being as important as any physical changes. Interestingly, few people say their goals include mental or emotional changes when they start. Regular strength training is shown through research to have a host of positive effects on your state of mind, and we love seeing these mental transformations happen in the gym. Let’s talk about what are some reasonable changes to expect to come from lifting!
Reduced Anxiety
Strength training has been shown in research to have anxiety reducing effects, even after a single workout session. If you find anxiety to be challenging, incorporating strength training as part of your approach to managing your anxiety is a great idea. Interestingly, the anxiety reduction appears to work whether you have a specific mental health diagnosis or not. So even if you aren’t specifically diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, and are just feeling a bit edgy, strength training can help.
Improved Sleep
I think we all know how important sleep is to our overall wellbeing! We’ve talked about sleep before here. Resistance training is demonstrated to improve “all aspects of sleep”, with the greatest impact being on sleep quality. It typically takes repeated strength training over a time to see these results – you might not sleep like a baby after your first time hitting the weights. Over time, you should see your sleep improve.
More Confidence
Lifting helped me develop a sense of “I can do hard things” that has transcended the weight room. I’ve heard from our members that they’ve realized the same thing by lifting! One of our members was recently really proud of herself for persevering through a challenging time at work and felt that the confidence she’d built up by lifting had helped her remember that she’s tough as nails and can get things done.
Therapy and Other Modalities (Including Medication) Might Still Be Needed!
The gym can’t replace your entire mental health care regimen! While strength training may cause improvements in these areas, you aren’t likely to learn the coping skills or relationship skills you need just by lifting weights. While strength training can help your mood, it’s okay to still take meds for any conditions that you have! Coaches aren’t qualified to give medication advice, so talk with your prescriber if you have concerns about your meds.
We love to see these transformations happen for our clients – walking a little taller, feeling a little better, having a little more confidence. If you want this for yourself but aren’t sure how to get started, schedule a free no-sweat intro with one of our coaches. We’ll have a quick chat about your goals and plan you the roadmap to get you there.
