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Mental Health

What lifting does for mood, anxiety and low motivation, separate from what it does for your body.

THE STUDIES

3 studies on this topic

2026

Journal of Thoracic Disease

Effects of Different Exercises on Psychological Anxiety and Depression in Patients with COPD

Studied: 1,034 adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) across 18 randomized trials

A review of 18 trials in people with COPD — a long-term lung condition that makes breathing hard — found that structured exercise meaningfully eased both anxiety and low mood, with the biggest improvements in the people who started with the worst symptoms. Even when the body is limited, training still helps the mind.

Mental HealthAnxietyDepressionChronic Conditions
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2022

Sports Medicine - Open

Comparative Effectiveness of Multiple Exercise Interventions in the Treatment of Mental Health Disorders

Studied: 6,456 participants across 117 randomized trials covering depression, anxiety, PTSD and schizophrenia

Comparing 117 trials head-to-head, this review asked which kind of exercise helps which mental health condition most. Strength training came out on top for anxiety, mixed programs for depression — the takeaway is that lifting is not just physical; it is one of the best-studied tools we have for anxiety.

Mental HealthAnxietyDepressionResistance Training
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2018

JAMA Psychiatry

Association of Efficacy of Resistance Exercise Training With Depressive Symptoms: Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials

Studied: Nearly 2,000 adults across 33 randomized trials, all ages and health statuses

One of the most-cited papers on lifting and mood: across 33 trials, people assigned to strength training reported meaningfully fewer depressive symptoms — low mood, loss of interest, feelings of worthlessness — whether or not they got visibly stronger. You do not have to become a powerlifter for your brain to benefit; showing up and lifting is enough.

Mental HealthDepressionResistance Training
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These summaries are general education, not medical advice. Individual results vary, and research on groups does not replace advice about your body from your doctor.

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