It’s well-known that lifting weights and exercise offer incredible benefits for physical health—building muscle, improving heart health, and increasing overall strength. Not to mention the positive impacts exercise can have on confidence and body image. Lifting can have a major impact on our mental health and offer plenty of benefits for our mood and stress… Yet, this message isn’t as well known. So let’s discuss…
Immediate (Acute) Mental Health Benefits
Lifting weights can provide an instant boost to your mental health. In fact, even a short session can enhance mood and decrease stress. Whether you’re dealing with the pressure of exams, a busy work season, or navigating conflicts in your relationships, lifting weights can serve as a helpful distraction and stress relief tool.
The benefits you may notice immediately after a workout include:
- Enhanced mood states like excitement, enthusiasm, and openness
- Decreases in negative emotions such as frustration, irritability, guilt, and depression
- A general boost in your overall mood that lasts for around 24 hours after exercise.
Even a quick workout can make a big difference. Studies show that improvements in mood are similar for those who exercise for 10-30 minutes compared to those who work out for longer sessions of 30-60 minutes. The takeaway? Even if you’re short on time, a quick workout will still have a positive impact on your mental well-being.
Long-Term (Chronic) Mental Health Benefits
Over time, consistently lifting weights can help reduce the risk of developing mood disorders like depression and anxiety. For those already living with mood disorders, regular exercise can serve as a valuable coping strategy.
Research suggests that, regardless of exercise type or intensity, consistency is the key to improving mental health. Whether you’re lifting weights or engaging in other forms of exercise, the effects on mood are overwhelmingly positive. Long-term benefits include:
- Increased positive affect (more moments of joy, satisfaction, and calmness)
- Decreased negative affect (fewer moments of stress, sadness, and anger)
Lifting-Specific Mental Health Benefits
While aerobic exercise is often praised for its mental health benefits, lifting weights can offer many of the same perks. Research has found particularly positive outcomes in both adolescents and older adults when it comes to reducing depressive symptoms.
There is an emerging body of research that suggests weight lifting as a way to improve relational and body connection, increase embodiment, and potentially support folks healing from trauma. Those with body image concerns may also experience mental health benefits as lifting can offer a way to shift the focus from appearance to performance and increase feelings of capability, strength, and empowerment, especially for women.
Interestingly, the amount of muscle gained or weight lifted doesn’t seem to play a significant role in mental health benefits. In other words, you don’t need to be an elite lifter or chase specific performance goals to see improvements in your mental health. Consistency is what matters most.
Building Confidence and Community
Beyond the direct effects on mood, lifting weights can improve your sense of competence, mastery, and self-efficacy. These feelings of accomplishment give meaning to your fitness pursuits and often translate to greater confidence and self-esteem outside the gym. Self-determination theory, which emphasizes autonomy, competence, and connection, suggests that these feelings can be key in driving continued positive behaviors.
Many people also find a sense of belonging and community in the gym, whether it’s through casual friendships, workout partners, or the supportive environment. This community can provide added mental health benefits, especially when people are feeling isolated.
Caveats: When Lifting Might Not Help
While lifting weights can provide enormous benefits for many people, there are situations where the mental health benefits may be more nuanced.
- Outcome-Focused Individuals – If your self-worth is tied primarily to your gym performance, you may not experience the same mental health benefits. In fact, if your progress stalls or you don’t hit your targets, the gym could become a source of frustration rather than relief.
- High-Performing Athletes – For those who train at a high level or exercise as part of their job, the mental health benefits may be less pronounced. When exercise becomes “work” rather than a hobby or form of self-care, the impacts on mood can vary.
- Chronic Stress – If you’re already dealing with chronic stress, lifting weights might not be the ideal solution—at least not without paying attention to recovery, sleep, and overall intensity. Overtraining without proper recovery can exacerbate stress, leading to irritability, fatigue, or potentially injury. In these cases, alternative mental health supports like therapy or mindfulness practices might be better suited.
Lifting Weights as a Compliment, Not a Cure
It’s important to remember that lifting weights, while incredibly beneficial, is not a substitute for therapy or medication. For those navigating serious mental health challenges, lifting can serve as an excellent pairing to other forms of treatment, enhancing overall well-being while addressing deeper issues in therapy or with support from a medical professional.
Lifting weights offers a powerful boost to both your physical and mental health. Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been lifting for years, consistency and enjoyment are key to reaping the psychological benefits. However, it’s important to listen to your body and mind—if you’re feeling burned out or frustrated, it might be time to reassess your approach or seek additional support.
As always, if you want to discover how therapy might support you in your growth and mental health, reach out to Strong Counselling to book a consultation with me.
References & Resources
- Nowakowski-Sims, E., Rooney, M., Vigue, D., & Woods, S. (2023). A grounded theory of weight lifting as a healing strategy for trauma. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 25, 100521.
- Hall, F. C., & Noonan, R. J. (2023). A qualitative study of how and why gym-based resistance training may benefit women’s mental health and wellbeing. Performance Enhancement & Health, 11(3), 100254.
- Stathopoulou, G., Powers, M. B., Berry, A. C., Smits, J. A., & Otto, M. W. (2006). Exercise interventions for mental health: a quantitative and qualitative review. Clinical psychology: Science and practice, 13(2), 179.
- Doyne, E. J., Ossip-Klein, D., Bowman, E. D., Osborn, K. M., McDougall-Wilson, I., & Neimeyer, R. A. (1987). Running versus weight lifting in the treatment of depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55(5), 748-754. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.55.5.748
- Stronger by Science Podcast – Does Lifting Really Improve Mental Health?