YOUR FITNESS COACH
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Overcome Depression with
Strength Training
&
By Willie B. Ray, Personal Trainer,
Art of Strength Kettle Bell Gym
1301 Winchester Road #129
Lexington, KY 40505
With over
17 million
people in the
United States currently on Prozac, depression
is the leading mental disorder in the Western
world. It is growing in all age groups and is
projected to increase at a rate to be the second
most disabling condition in the world by 2020.
There are numerous well-known benefits to
exercising routinely like improving cardiovascular (heart/lung) health, lowering blood pressure, strengthening bones, improving muscle
tone and strength, increasing energy levels, and
reducing excess
body fat. But
recent
research provides evidence for the importance
of physical activity for mental health, with inactive or sedentary people having twice the risk of
becoming depressed.
Several hundred studies have investigated
the effect of exercise on depression and found
that exercise can increase self-esteem, improve
mood, reduce anxiety levels, increase the
ability to handle stress, and improve sleep
patterns. One study at Harvard found that
10 weeks of strength training reduced clinical depression symptoms more successfully
than standard counseling did. Several studies
found that strength training provides similar
improvements in depression as anti-depressant
medications. An Australian study found that
high intensity s