1 in 5 patients with psychiatric diseases in Mexico have access to treatment, since in our country we have a great stigma about these diseases, patients are relegated due to their condition, but above all due to the ignorance that exists in the population about mental health. This becomes even more difficult when the patients are men, international organizations blame the culture of the male, where it is considered weak to talk about mental and emotional problems, many consider it a feminine issue. Fortunately, the culture is changing and progress, although slow, is constant.
According to research published in the journal Sports Medicine, there is an alternative cure for those who haven’t emotionally worked yet and want to open up a little more, and it can be found at your local gym. Scientists have found that resistance training, whether it’s a circuit class or a chest session, can add muscle to your mental health.
This exercise improves your mood, but it is not a new concept, and for those who simply have a bad day, it is still a positive recipe but the most surprising thing about this research is their suggestion that if you are fighting anxiety or depression, the time you spend with a dumbbell in your hand is more effective than medical treatments such as psychotherapy (clarifying that it is not leaving one for the other, it is always good to complement), research has long focused on the aerobic exercise, but this is one of the first studies to highlight the cognitive benefits of doing free weight and the effects don’t go away after doing your daily weight lifting.
Researchers have also linked resistance training with less contraction of white matter, the tissue that connects and passes signals between different regions of the brain. This network of nerve fibers can develop holes and lesions as it ages, which could lead to degenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s. But lifting weights twice a week can slow down this process, safeguarding your mental health both now and for years to come. In short, if leg day sounds like a mind numbing opportunity, it’s time to rethink.