{"id":46614,"date":"2016-01-05T11:15:12","date_gmt":"2016-01-05T16:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=46614"},"modified":"2021-11-18T07:19:46","modified_gmt":"2021-11-18T12:19:46","slug":"mental-benefits-of-strength-training-exercises","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/mental-benefits-of-strength-training-exercises\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Mind-Body Benefits of Strength Training"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Need the motivation to push past your comfort zone and squeeze out one more push-up<\/a> or bicep curl? Sure, it helps to remember that you\u2019ll get stronger, rock more toned muscles and rev your metabolism<\/a>, thanks to all that added muscle mass. But if that wasn\u2019t enough, now comes news that all that pump-itude (yup, that’s an SNL reference<\/a>) has psychological benefits, too.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Your 12-Move Total Body Workout<\/a><\/p>\n

It turns out yoga isn\u2019t the only form of exercise that could strengthen your inner self. In fact, one study<\/a> comparing the effects of hatha yoga and resistance exercise found that both<\/em> activities improved mental health and wellbeing. Each group was less depressed, and the folks pumping iron enjoyed improved body image, too. \u201cWe know that all exercise improves mood,\u201d explains Jeffrey A. Katula, PhD, associate professor of health and exercise science at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. \u201cBut I think resistance training provides something different emotionally to people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here are seven more reasons to never skip a strength session again.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Is It Better to Do Strength or Cardio First?<\/a><\/p>\n

7 Mind-Body Benefits of Strength Training <\/strong><\/h3>\n

1. You\u2019ll feel more competent.
\n<\/strong>It\u2019s an amazing feeling when you graduate from lifting 10-pounders to 15-pounders. \u201cOver time, you get better at something you\u2019re doing, and you develop a sense of mastery and feeling that you\u2019re getting stronger,\u201d explains James Whitworth, a doctoral research fellow in the Biobehavioral Resistance Training Lab at Columbia\u2019s Teachers College in New York City. \u201cIt helps your confidence, and that gives you a boost in self-esteem.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact, in one new study<\/a> comparing the effects of aerobic exercise versus resistance training on the psychological health of obese adolescents, researchers found that people in the resistance group experienced significantly greater self-esteem and perceived strength over four weeks. But what\u2019s most interesting is that the feeling<\/em> of getting stronger \u2014 rather than any measurable gains \u2014 was all it took to give them a boost.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 19 Reasons to Work Out (Beyond the Perfect Body)<\/a><\/p>\n

2. You\u2019ll see the difference.
\n<\/strong>Crave instant gratification<\/a>? Strength training is a good motivator because you see progress quickly. \u201cIf you put someone on a walking program<\/a>, it will take time before they perceive their body is changing,\u201d explains Katula. \u201cBut with strength training, you can feel a difference in your muscles even after one session.\u201d And it only takes a couple workouts before you\u2019ll notice some muscle definition in the mirror. (Go ahead and flex. We dare you.)<\/p>\n

3. You could boost your brain power.
\n<\/strong>Researchers have long been interested in how exercise improves cognitive thinking<\/a> \u2014\u00a0and whether it can ward off dementia<\/a> later in life. Now, a whole slew of new studies is comparing whether strength training affects the brain differently than cardio. One Italian study<\/a> of 80 older people found that those who completed a 12-week strength regimen showed improved capacity for practical skills, whereas cardio training helped bolster them on analytic tasks. Researchers are still trying to understand the \u201cwhy\u201d behind this study \u2014\u00a0but so far, we\u2019re impressed.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Strength Training May Help Keep You Young, Study Says<\/a><\/p>\n

4. You\u2019ll feel like you can do anything.
\n<\/strong>When Katula started his research on whether weight training would improve quality of life for seniors<\/a>, he realized that many had never even picked up a dumbbell. \u201cThey first had to learn how to use these big intimidating weights<\/a> and machines,\u201d he says. He recalls the story of one woman who protested that she couldn\u2019t do the leg press machine. Finally, Katula persuaded her to sit in the machine and set the weight at 50 pounds. \u201cI couldn\u2019t believe how fast she whipped out 10 reps,\u201d he says, \u201cWhen she got out of that machine, she was two inches taller just from increased pride.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 10 Athletes Over 60 Who Could Kick Your Butt<\/a><\/p>\n

5. You\u2019ll be more in tune with your body.
\n<\/strong>That soreness<\/a> you feel post-strength session may seem like a setback. Yet over time, you\u2019ll come to acknowledge that it signifies you\u2019re getting stronger. \u201cYou think, \u2018I\u2019ve done something worthwhile. My body is telling me I\u2019ve had a workout.\u2019 You look forward to the fatigue and interpret it in a positive way,\u201d says John Spence, PhD, professor of physical education and recreation at the University of Alberta in Canada, who wrote a review<\/a> on the effect of exercise on self-esteem. (Wondering how sore is too sore to work out? Here\u2019s your answer<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Tone Your Thighs: 3 Moves for Awesome Legs<\/a><\/p>\n

6. You\u2019ll forget about the day\u2019s problems.
\n<\/strong>Ever noticed that when you\u2019re in the midst of tough reps, it\u2019s hard to think about your grocery list? That\u2019s because the intensity and focus required for strength training makes it impossible to be anywhere else but in the immediate moment. \u201cYou\u2019re doing something that\u2019s a distraction from the stressors of daily life,\u201d says Whitworth.<\/p>\n

7. You might stop obsessing about your weight.
\n<\/strong>Stash away your scale for several weeks \u2014\u00a0and set a strength training goal instead. That\u2019s the advice of Lisette Cifaldi, director of behavioral health at Hilton Head Health weight loss resort who counsels patients. \u201cI think strength training shifts your perspective,\u201d she says. \u201cThe happiness doesn\u2019t come from achieving a certain number [on the scale]. It comes from the process of getting stronger and feeling empowered that you\u2019re navigating your own success.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve got seven benefits of strength training that will make you want to tone up, ASAP \u2014 and they\u2019re a lot more compelling than the promise of buff biceps. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,6,14],"tags":[289,281,341,353],"class_list":["post-46614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-exercise","category-fitness","category-strength-training","tag-exercise","tag-strength-training","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2weight-training"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/46"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46614"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46614\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}