What are the Benefits of Strength Training for Mental Health?

R. Oberoi; S. Misas; W. Wright; L. Macleod & N. Whitney
Apr 9, 2024
8 min read

Hey, teens! Ready to take your self-care routine to the next level? Let's talk strength training! Lifting weights, doing squats, or using resistance bands can be more than just a way to get buff. It's also fantastic for your physical and mental well-being. Strength training boosts your mood, reduces stress, and makes you feel strong inside and out. Whether you're dealing with challenges or just want to feel stronger, adding some resistance training to your routine could be the ultimate self-care move. Get ready to flex those muscles, boost your mood, and tackle life's challenges with confidence and resilience! Let's crush it together (Legerlotz, 2018)!

What is Strength Training?

Strength training involves doing exercises that challenge your muscles in different ways. This could mean lifting weights, using resistance bands, or doing bodyweight exercises like push-ups and squats. The goal is to make your muscles stronger and more resilient over time. So, whether you're lifting weights or doing squats, you're working towards getting stronger and fitter with each workout (Legerlotz, 2018).

How Does Strength Training Affect Your Life?

Strength training can affect your life in many ways, and we are going to list those benefits for you! Did you know that strength training can improve the way you feel about yourself? By improving the outside (your physical appearance), you improve yourself on the inside as well. Why? Because you develop a sense that you can trust yourself to complete challenges, you can trust that you have the strength required for some activities once you have developed it, and you also improve your opinion about yourself (Legerlotz, 2018). Even though physical appearance is not the most important aspect of your life, it is good to like the person you see in the mirror, and strength training will definitely help you achieve that.

We also want to talk about some cases and their benefits for adolescents with different disabilities as well as adolescents without any disabilities.

Adolescents who weigh more than what is healthy according to their height (obesity) got involved in an exercise plan that lasted for six months. Their ages were between 13 and 17, and the benefits that were mentioned for them were feeling better about themselves, and as strength developed, they trusted themselves to have what was needed to get through the exercise (Legerlotz, 2018).
Adolescents with cerebral palsy, a condition in which the brain does not control movement of some parts of their body, participated in strength training for ten weeks. Their ages were between 14 and 16 years old. They increased their confidence in their bodies and were able to improve how they felt about their appearance (Legerlotz, 2018).
Lastly, this program was developed for adolescents who did not have any disabilities and whose ages were 14 and 18 years old. They were able to improve the way they felt about themselves during a training program that lasted 12 weeks (Legerlotz, 2018).

Something that we want you to think about is that strength training is for anyone who wants to explore the benefits of getting a stronger body, no matter if you have a disability or not!

Note. From Fitness dumbbells [Photograph], by Markusspiske, 2015, pixaby (https://pixabay.com/photos/fitness-dumbbells-training-gym-594143/). In the public domain.

Top 5 Free Resources for Teen Strength Training and Mental Health Support

Looking for reliable sources to expand your knowledge on fitness, nutrition, and mental health? Check out these trusted online platforms:

1. The Brain-Changing Benefits of Exercise

Let’s begin with a powerful TedTalk from a professor talking about the positive outcomes of exercising. By presenting this video in the first place, we want to encourage you not only to think about strength training as a way of changing your physical appearance but also to think about it as a tool that will help you develop a healthy brain. For that, we are going to talk about the benefits that exercising has on your brain.

Not only will you feel better about yourself, but you will also be able to develop strength, improve your memory, increase your attention, and have more energy (Suzuki, 2017). Did you know that strength training can help you develop a stronger brain? The more you exercise, the stronger some parts of the brain become. This allows you to experience the good things that we mentioned above more frequently and for longer periods. Now, you might be wondering, when will you see results at a brain level? Guess what? It is immediate! In my opinion, what I liked the most about this TedTalk was the fact that they gave a specific answer to a question that I had. What is the amount of time you should be exercising for? And the answer to this question is between 3 and 4 days per week, for 30 minutes, including in your routine exercises like dancing, running, and jumping a rope (Suzuki, 2017).

2. ExRx.net

If you're looking to level up your fitness game, ExRx.net is about to become your new best friend. Here's why it's the bomb for us:

Easy Peasy Navigation: Ever feel lost in the gym jungle? Not anymore! ExRx.net is like having a cool older sibling who guides you through everything fitness-related. Say goodbye to the confusion of where to start or what to do next. It's all laid out for you, plain and simple.
Learn While You Lift: Okay, let's be real, exercise can sometimes feel like a chore. But guess what? ExRx.net makes it way more interesting. They break down the science behind workouts in a way that's actually kinda cool. So while you're pumping iron or hitting those reps, you're also expanding your brainpower. It's like multitasking for your body and mind!
Awesome Visuals: Boring textbooks? Nah, not here. ExRx.net hooks you up with rad illustrations and videos that make learning new exercises a breeze. It's like having your own personal TikTok fitness coach, showing you exactly how to nail those moves. Plus, who doesn't love a bit of visual motivation to keep you pumped?
Trustworthy Info: We get it, there's a ton of fitness stuff out there on the internet. But with ExRx.net, you can trust that you're getting the real deal. All their info is backed by science, so you can lift those weights with confidence, knowing you're doing it right and not just following some random fad.

So, whether you're a gym newbie or already crushing your workouts, ExRx.net is the ultimate tool to have in your fitness arsenal. Share it with your friends, bookmark it on your browser, and get ready to take your gains to the next level. Let's do this, fam!

3. The Healing Power of Strength Training

Strength training doesn't just help with your physical health but it is also extremely good for your mental health, and it can also help with the healing process from trauma. While reading this article, it truly brought to my attention how important strength training is. Engaging in regular strength training routines and going to the gym a lot helps release endorphins and neurotransmitters that actually act as natural painkillers and mood elevators, which helps lead to a sense of overall well being with reduced stress levels. If you ever wonder why you feel so good after every workout, that is why!!

Not only that, but this article also talks about how you need to have discipline in order to create consistent training. This consistent training will create a sense of control and empowerment, which is definitely needed for people who are trying to fight their way through trauma. Another thing in the article that I found very interesting is that people who have had improvements in their physical strength usually also experience an increase in their confidence as well as becoming more resilient. People with trauma find it easier to deal with the burdens and terrors when their confidence is higher. The overall structured nature of strength training is to provide a healthy way for processing emotions and managing symptoms of anxiety and depression.

In conclusion, this article showed clear evidence that maintaining an active lifestyle isn’t just beneficial for your physical health but it is also optimal for your mental health. Whether it is going to walk your dog, doing strength training, or doing any type of physical activity, being consistently active will provide you with lots of psychological benefits. From reducing stress to boosting your self esteems, the benefits of being active can never be foreseen. Creating a positive environment with regular strength training in your routine won’t only strengthen your body but will also strengthen your mind. So, whether you're getting the gains in the gym, going on a run, or just being active, remember that each step you take to stay active is a step closer towards your end goal of being a healthier and happier person.

4. MayoClinic.org

No one wants a huge, lazy, and out-of-shape person in their lives. Google is free! I have found a great article for you with information on why you should get exercise!

These include:

· Developing stronger bones

· Managing your weight

· Better quality of life

· Help with your thinking

You are probably thinking well what can do to see results? I am here to tell you that there are plenty of things that you can do. Not only will you feel better, you will look better as well! You can do these exercises at home or in the gym.

These are:

· Resistance tubing

· Weight machines

· Body weight exercises

5. Mental Health Benefits of Strength Training (verywellfit.com)

Who wants to not only look good, but feel good as well? Strength training could be your answer. Strength training is not meant to build muscle but to build a stronger body. Not only does it build a stronger physical body, it can also build a stronger mind. This is a win-win for not only adults but for all you teens out there.

How can strength training help you mentally? First, it can improve your mood. It releases a feel-good chemical called endorphins that can give you a boost, and improve self-confidence, self-esteem, and body image. Next, it strengthens the mind-body connection. It just makes you feel good by letting your body guide you. Finally, it can lower your stress and anxiety levels. The increased confidence helps with coping skills that contribute to reducing anxiety levels. And of course, who doesn’t want to boost their brain health? Strength training can help improve memory and keep you alert and your senses top-notch.

This is a great article because it helps get you started on a strength training program and journey. It offers both beginner and advanced exercises. Throughout the article, links are provided that go into much more detail such as, how strength training can improve your mood, how to build a habit, how to get motivated, and exercises for your level. Remember, it’s not about sprinting to the finish line, it’s about going at a steady pace that brings lasting benefits and results.

Note. From Brain exercise training [Photograph], by simisi1, 2021, Pixabay (https://pixabay.com/illustrations/brain-exercise-training-5983810/). In the public domain.

Closing

In closing, remember: strength training isn't just about getting swole; it's about leveling up your mental game too. It's like powering up your confidence and resilience stats for the real-life boss battles ahead. So, as you pump iron and rock those squats, know you're not just building muscle, you're building inner strength too. Let's crush it, squad! We're in this together, flexing our way to success, one rep at a time!

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Ready to start your strength training journey? Share your thoughts and experiences with strength training in the comments below, and don't forget to explore our other blog posts for more tips and inspiration! Let's make every rep count!

References

ExRx.net. (2023, November 1). Exercise prescription on internet. https://www.exrx.net/

Friedman, D. (2023. June 22). The healing power of strength training. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/07/well/move/weight-lifting-ptsd- trauma.html

Legerlotz, K. (2018). The effects of resistance training on health of children and adolescents with disabilities. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 14(4), 382- 396. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827618759640

MacPherson, R. (2023, January 25). 5 mental health benefits of strength training. Verywellfit. https://www.verywellfit.com/mental-health-benefits-of-strength-training- 5216157

Markusspiske. (2015, January 9). Fitness dumbbells. Pixaby.

https://pixabay.com/photos/ fitness-dumbbells-training-gym-594143/

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2023, April 29). Strength training: Get stronger, leaner, healthier. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy- lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/strength-training/art-20046670