YOUR FITNESS COACH
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Strength Training: The Best Path
to Improved Mental Health
By Willie B. Ray, Personal Trainer,
Art of Strength Kettle Bell Gym
1301 Winchester Road #129
Lexington, KY 40505
With more than 17 million people in the
United States currently on Prozac, depression
is the leading mental disorder in the Western
world. It is growing in all age groups and is
projected to increase at a rate to be the second most disabling condition in the world by
2020. There are numerous well-known benefits to exercising routinely, such as improving
cardiovascular (heart/lung) health, lowering
blood pressure, strengthening bones, improving muscle tone and strength, increasing
energy levels and reducing excess body fat.
But recent research provides evidence for the
importance of physical activity for mental
health with inactive or sedentary people, who
have twice the risk of becoming depressed.
Several hundred studies have investigated
the effect of exercise on depression and found
exercise can increase self-esteem, improve
mood, reduce anxiety levels, increase the
ability to handle stress and improve sleep
patterns. One study at Harvard found that
10 weeks of strength training reduced clinical depression symptoms more successfully
than standard counseling did. Several studies found strength training provides similar
improvements in depression as antidepressant medications. An Australian study found
high-intensity strength training with elderly
people resulted in 50 percent to 70 percent
improvements in depression, which is equivalent to a good antidepressant drug effect. The
study recorded three-quarters of the elderly
had no diagnosis of clinical depression at the
end of the study and no injuries as a result of
a well-designed strength-training program.
Currently, it is not known if this benefit to
strength training is because people feel better
when they are stronger or if strength training produces a helpful biochemical change in
the brain. Regardless, strength training has
been proven as an effective method in battling depression. Simply stated, when people
participate in strength-training programs,
their self-confidence and self-esteem improve,
which strongly impacts their overall quality of
life and ability to combat depression.
A proper exercise program that includes
strength training provides similar improvements in depression as antidepressant
medications but without negative side effects.
Many people stop taking antidepressant medication because of the side effects. One in particular is the increased risk of falling for older
people. However, strength training has the
opposite effect; it actually reduces your risk
of falling and injuries, among other important
health benefits. Recent studies show that after
a strength-training session, endorphin levels
(feel-good hormones) are increased by more
than 60 percent, leaving you feeling rejuvenated and keeping your mind trouble free. When
people suffering from depression strength
train on a regular basis, their self-confidence
and self-esteem improve, which strongly
impacts their overall quality of life. If you have
never exercised, learning an exercise program
can be considered a new skill and mastering a
new skill may boost your mood and provide
a sense of accomplishment and achievement,
which also counters the effect of depression.
Even a modest exercise program of 30
minutes a day three days a week is an effective weapon for combating depression, and
the benefits of such a program are likely to
be permanent for individuals who adopt
exercise as a regular, ongoing life activity. But
researchers suggest if you’re going to strength
train to battle depression, you have to work to
constantly increase your goals. Working at a
good intensity and progression toward goals
are keys to winning the battle against depression.
But regardless of whether you are battling
depression, start your regular strength training exercise program today. As you get more
energy exercising, you will get happier, have
a better outlook on life and enjoy life more.
This will give you an effective weapon to fight
any blues. If I can be of any assistance to you,
please feel free to contact me at supernat_
[email protected] or (859) 221-4479.
Yours in Health,
Willie B. Ray
Several studies found strength
training provides similar
improvements in depression as
antidepressant medications.
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