When we think of weight lifting, we may envision muscle tee’s and rock-hard biceps. Although weight training is a great tool for acquiring muscle mass, it may also be a weight lifted off of your mental state. Our chiropractic team in Eden Prairie wants to help you understand why.

Mental Benefits of Strength Training in Eden Prairie

An article on Dr. Mercola’s website discusses this topic a bit further. He states that strength training offers body-wide benefits from your heart to your brain. In fact, recent research published in JAMA Psychiatry revealed that it is even beneficial for your mood and may help to alleviate symptoms of depression. A toned body AND a refreshed mind? Now that is something we can all get behind.

When we get in a good workout session, we have all heard about the release of endorphins that follows. Our heart is pumping at an increased rate, and therefore we are skyrocketing the blood flow through our precious craniums. The release of mood boosting chemicals may act as a road block for the stress trying to enter your body. It is impossible to avoid stress, even for the eerily calm cucumbers out there. Knowing that there is a natural remedy for increasing the dopamine production in your brain makes me want to do some jumping jacks at my desk.

Mercola mentions that people who deal with depression tend to have a poorer quality of life and a weaker sense of consistency than people who are not depressed. The improvements in mood start to emerge when the activity is performed at least twice a week for a few months. This is such a minimal amount of effort for such a large payoff! While participating in strength training, your body creates new neurons which help to encourage a natural state of calm. This is the same thing that anti-anxiety medications try to artificially recreate. Why reach for a prescription when you can reach for a dumbbell and amplify your energy levels, improve sleep habits and chisel your physique all in one?

It’s officially summer, making it the perfect time to invest in a gym membership or walk your way to a nearby park and begin to activate your muscles. Lift those weights and lift your spirits!

For more information, call or visit our team at ChiroFit Health & Wellness in Eden Prairie, MN. We would love to hear from you and help you start living your best life now!