Do you ever think about WHY you’re at the gym?
Do you want to feel less sluggish?
Are you chasing your goal weight?
Worried about your bone mineral density?
Training for an athletic event?
Trying to keep your heart and body healthy?
Need an endorphin boost?
Whatever the reason is, keep doing it! And here is another reason to throw on your gym shoes. New research out of the University of Wisconsin – Madison (My alma mater!) is studying another powerful benefit of movement: its effect on our mental health.
I recently read about 2 research projects, led by Jacob Meyer, PhD, an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at UW–Madison. He is leading the four-year, $2.7 million project funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), looking at whether strength training can help individuals combat depression. According to NIH, roughly 8% of adults in the United States — about 21 million people — suffered a major depressive episode in 2021, the most recent year of available data. Meyer notes therapy and prescription drug-based interventions for major depressive disorder (MDD) have been shown in studies to have limited effectiveness, with usual treatment success reported as low as 29% after a year.
First Research Study: Can strength training help treat depression?
One of Dr. Meyer’s current NIH-funded studies is taking a closer look at resistance exercise, as a potential treatment for depression.
Meyer’s study is designed to be the first large-scale test of strength training effects on mental health. The study aims to recruit 200 participants, who will engage in an exercise routine twice a week for 16 weeks. They will conduct interviews with mental health clinicians throughout the process to gauge their progress. There will also be follow-up clinical evaluations several months after the exercise routines are completed.
What makes this research particularly interesting is that the team isn’t looking only at whether people feel better. They’re also investigating why strength training may help, including potential changes in blood flow to the brain. Research has shown blood flow in the brain is lower in adults with MDD, and resistance training may be able to improve this.
Second Research Study: What if you exercise BEFORE therapy?
Dr. Meyer and his colleagues are also studying a fascinating question:
Could exercise help us get more out of mental health therapy?
In a recent pilot study with 40 people, participants were divided into two groups of 18 to 65-year-old adults with major depression. One group watched a 30-minute segment from a nature documentary immediately before therapy. The other group watched the same segment while doing a moderate-intensity, 30-minute cycling workout before therapy. Each group completed eight weeks of weekly cognitive behavioral therapy, completing surveys before and after each session.
The researchers found that exercising beforehand was associated with a stronger connection between the patient and therapist and greater patient initiative and engagement during treatment.
With the pilot study complete, Meyer’s team is enrolling a larger group of participants as part of the three-year project funded by the NIH to test whether exercise priming can enhance psychotherapy outcomes.
This doesn’t mean exercise replaces therapy. Instead, researchers are investigating whether movement might be used alongside traditional treatments to make them even more effective.
Movement is about more than muscles
As physical therapists, we see every day how interconnected physical and emotional health can be.
Exercise can help us become stronger and more mobile, but research like this reminds us that movement may also influence our mood, stress levels, confidence and overall sense of well-being.
Convinced you need to engage in more strength training? Join a class at Body Align Physical Therapy for some physical and mental benefits.
New clients can enjoy one free class during the month of October so grab a friend.