How Strength Training can Combat Stress

During resistance training, we often speak of creating stress on the musculoskeletal system.

The other type of stress - the feeling of being overwhelmed or unable to cope with mental or emotional pressure - this is the one we're addressing below

The type when muscles may be tense - especially in your neck, and shoulders. You may feel a tightness in your chest, a pounding pulse, or muscle cramps.

1. Strength training boosts the production of your brain's feel-good hormones - endorphins. These help to relax the muscles and relieve tension throughout the body as well as reduce the perception of pain throughout the body.

2. Strength training can lead to a boost in confidence and self-esteem as persons progress in strength and the perception of an improved physique.

3. According to research, strength training can help improve your quality of sleep. During strength training, the body requires energy to power muscles and facilitate the lifting of weights. This energy comes from a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the primary source of energy for muscle contraction during strength training. When ATP is naturally depleted through activity, it breaks back down into adenosine, which tends to cause drowsiness.