What Is Depression? | What Is Anxiety? | The Study | The Findings | Takeaway

Lifting weights comes with a plethora of benefits, one is the positive impact on mental health. But how does the iron fair against depression?

Talk of mental health has opened up, and the awareness of its importance is increasingly more well-known. Even so, sufferers may find difficulty in seeking help and finding effective treatments.

At the same time, the effect of exercise on mental health has escalated in talks within the fitness community. People, myself included, vouch that exercise has helped ease their minds and improve their focus.

Today, we’ll look at a study that investigates the mental-healing properties of exercise on sufferers of depression and anxiety, and what the findings mean for you.

Depression is a common mood disorder. It negatively impacts the mental space and daily lives of those affected. Anyone can become depressed, regardless of age, gender, or race. 

There are different types of depression with varying symptoms, but the common symptoms may include the following: 

• Feeling sad or hopeless

• Irritable or frustrated 

• Worthlessness 

• Loss of interest

• Low energy and fatigue 

• Difficulty sleeping and/or waking

• Dark thoughts

Experiencing these symptoms every once in a while is normal. However, having these symptoms consistently may indicate depression.

Anxiety is a general feeling of worry or uneasiness. Some occasional anxiety is normal, like the worry a student may feel during exam season. Similar to depression, however, a consistent feeling of worry that doesn’t fade may signal an anxiety disorder. 

There are also many types of anxiety disorders, one being GAD or general anxiety disorder. Here are some of the symptoms:

• Feeling restless or wound up

• Fatigued 

• Lack of focus

• Irritable 

• Headaches 

• Sleep problems 

The symptoms of depression and anxiety do crossover and it’s common to experience both at the same time.

The go-to treatments for depression are medication and psychotherapy, which have negative side effects and are costly. A viable alternative is exercise.

There are positive findings of aerobic exercise in improving depression, but the effects of resistance training haven’t been investigated sufficiently.

In this study, researchers explored the antidepressant effects of resistance training on 55 young adults (roughly 26 years old) who have either generalised anxiety disorder or major depressive disorder. 

Participants of the study were new to resistance training and had one-on-one training sessions twice a week for 8 weeks. They submitted a questionnaire every 4 weeks that measured their level of depressive symptoms. 

The workouts lasted just 25 minutes and the exercises used in the study were compound lifts in the 8 to 12-rep range. Progressive overload was incorporated too.

Fast Improvements

In the first week alone, levels of depression decreased, with a further reduction between weeks 4 and 8.

Suggesting that simply making a start with resistance training can rapidly improve mental health, with consistent training improving depressive symptoms even further.

Full Body Training Is Best

This study used a full-body training program that was “ecologically valid and guideline-based”. Researchers found this style of training to be more effective at reducing depression in comparison to previous research that only studied aerobic exercise. A similar conclusion can be drawn when comparing this study to a study that only incorporated lower-body resistance training.

Note that increasing strength didn’t affect the rate at which depression was reduced. However, participants were new to resistance training, so simply following a well-structured routine may have been enough of a stimulus.

Choose Weights Over Drugs

The study found that for mild to moderate depression, resistance training works better than some anti-depression medication. Highlighting the positive and powerful effect of resistance training on mental health.

• If you’re currently inactive and feel depressed, any form of exercise may have a positive impact on your mental health

• Lifting weights may be best in decreasing depression fast

• Even short resistance training sessions (around half an hour) are enough to improve mental well-being

• Follow a well-structured training plan and stay consistent for the best results in battling depression - read Cutting Concepts to ensure that you build and follow a training routine that is optimal for you, whilst also learning the groundwork of fitness for fat loss

Disclaimer: This is not medical advice.

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Sources:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016517812300272X

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders