How strength training can relieve stress

You've probably heard 100 or more physical benefits of strength training, but have you ever considered its benefits to your mental health and stress levels?

Lifting weights has a very positive impact on your mental state, from the immediate endorphins that get released to supporting your sleep.

Keeping stress levels at a lower, more manageable level

Most of us have experienced elevated stress at some point in our lives and we can all agree that it doesn't feel good. Not only is it unpleasant in the moment, but high stress levels have a huge impact on your mental and physical health due to the hormones produced when we're stressed.

A lot of us spend our days whizzing from one activity to the next within our careers, parenthood, social life and all the other commitments we may have.

Can you remember the last time you took a step back and focused on creating a calm headspace?

This is where strength training is worth its weight in gold (literally) when looking to reduce stress levels. It's some much-needed you time where you can isolate life's noise for a while.

Let’s discuss some of the direct stress-busting benefits of strength training

1. Say hello to new endorphins. Strength training boosts the production of endorphins, your brain's feel-good hormones. Endorphins reduce your perception of pain and can promote feelings of euphoria, like that feeling when you smash your workout and finish on an absolute high.
2. Lifts your mood. Regular strength training and exercise has been proven to improve self-confidence, lift your mood, help you relax and lower symptoms of depression and anxiety.
3. Better quality sleep. Whatever is causing you stress in life will always feel worse if you are not getting enough recovery-promoting sleep. A regular training program will encourage better sleep habits. This is partly due to the energy expended during your workout, but also because the focus needed to perform your lifts creates space for your mind to be present, almost like mental meditation.
4. Self-esteem and confidence. Becoming a master of anything and progressing through a skill gives you a feeling of pride and boosts self-efficacy when you see yourself continually achieving your goals. Higher self-esteem and confidence equals lower stress levels.
5. Relief of stress-induced muscle tension. Back pain, neck pain, headaches and other tension-related problems can be improved by using these muscles in strength training. Having a regular training program will improve posture, give you closer control of the muscles that you're carrying tension in and help alleviate these physical stressors.

We could delve deeper into the studies published around endorphins, anxiety and stress levels, but it can all be summarised by this:

Resistance training gives you some me-time. It helps you to switch off from the mania of everyday life and meet new people if you train in a gym. You'll gain a sense of accomplishment with every completed workout and build your self-esteem as your fitness goals come to fruition.

When life gets hectic, your training program can be the one constant and reliable factor that grounds you.

What’s the lesson to be learned here, then? If you're stressed, throw some weight around and you'll be amazed at what it does to your mood!