How to Toughen up Your Brain With Weight Training
We’ve previously covered the unquestionable benefits of aerobic workouts for the health of your brain. Today, we’re exploring how resistance and weight training also has a positive impact on your brain’s performance and function across both the short and long term.
What is resistance/weight training?
Put simply, it’s another form of exercise that, along with cardiovascular fitness, has a wealth of benefits for your body and brain. As opposed to aerobic exercise, weight training focuses on your muscle tone and strength. And it’s not just for bodybuilders or the most dedicated of gym devotees, either. Weight training can range from beginner-friendly bodyweight exercises, all the way up to powerlifting.
What are the benefits?
It’s been well proven that regular strength training builds muscle mass, improves endurance, speeds up metabolism, and improves the health of your heart. It also promotes better bone health, improved posture, flexibility, and reduces the risk of injury and falls, among others. But how does it affect your brain?
Muscular training and your brain
Let’s look deeper into some of the specific effects of consistent muscle engagement on your grey matter.
Cognitive function
There have been a number of studies pointing to noteworthy improvements in the brains’ executive function, memory skills, and overall processing speed when engaging in a regular resistance or weight-based training regime. This is further proof that the so-called “mind-muscle connection” really does exist.
Neuroprotection
A long-term study led by researchers at the University of Sydney revealed that just 90 minutes a week of weight training “can protect some hippocampal subregions from degeneration or shrinkage for up to 12 months after the training has stopped.” These significant and exciting findings indicate that incorporating some form of strength training is an essential part of helping to reduce the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in later life.
Mental health
And that’s not all. Featuring weight-based elements in your fitness routine has been shown to improve your quality of life, especially as you age. It has also been linked to a marked improvement in the symptoms of a number of common mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety. The mood-boosting effects of strength training may be partially attributed to increased self-esteem, but doing so also encourages the release of feel-good endorphins.
Being aware of the multitude of body and brain benefits that strength training has can help you to reframe your workout routine. So next time you’re considering skipping the weights, just remember, it’s not just your muscles you’ll be strengthening!
Don’t miss out on the incredible benefits of physical activity for your brain — enroll in brain health coaching today and start taking steps towards a healthier, happier you.