Pumping Up Your Mood: Lifting Weights, Lifting Spirits
A sweeping meta-analysis finds resistance training significantly reduces depressive symptoms—regardless of age, gender, or health status.
Are You Missing the Hidden Antidepressant in Your Gym Routine?
It’s easy to think of lifting weights as just a path to stronger biceps or better bone health. But what if resistance training could help boost your mood—profoundly and reliably enough to stand next to other frontline depression therapies? A major systematic review and meta-analysis reveals that hitting the weights isn’t just good for your body—it can also help manage or even reduce depressive symptoms in all kinds of people.
What’s the Big Idea?
Main Question:
Does resistance exercise training (RET)—think weight-lifting, resistance bands, gym machines—significantly reduce depressive symptoms? And if so, does this benefit vary depending on health status, age, gender, or the exercise “dose”?
Core Finding:
Across 33 clinical trials with nearly 1,900 participants, resistance training resulted in a moderate, statistically significant reduction in depressive symptoms. The benefit held true across age groups (mean age: 52), genders (67% female), and for both healthy individuals and those with physical or mental health conditions.
Effect size: Moderate (Hedges’ d = 0.66)
Number needed to treat: 4 (just four people need to try RET for one to experience symptom improvement)
“Resistance exercise training was associated with significant reduction in depressive symptoms, regardless of health status, total prescribed volume, or strength gains.”
Why Should You Care?
Universally beneficial: The antidepressant effect of resistance training emerged regardless of participants’ initial health status, age, or gender.
Not just about getting stronger: Improvements in mood were independent of actual strength gains or the amount of weight lifted.
Effective at minimal doses: Session frequency, duration, and total “dose” didn’t change the outcome. Even brief, moderate routines appear helpful.
Comparable to other therapies: RET worked as well as aerobic exercise for lifting mood and can complement or serve as an alternative when medications or therapy aren’t accessible, effective, or appealing.
Better mood, better healthspan: Since depression often co-occurs with chronic illness, using resistance exercise as prevention and treatment may have far-reaching effects for both mental and physical health.
For specific groups:
Older adults: Mood improvements seen even in the elderly with and without chronic illnesses.
Women & men: Benefits seen across genders (trials were 67% female).
Those with mild to moderate depression: The largest effect was found here, hinting at prevention potential.
What’s Next on the Horizon?
Fine-tuning prescriptions: Future studies should clarify how RET intensity, frequency, and social context (group vs. solo) might maximize mood effects.
Directly comparing RET, therapy, and medication: High-quality, head-to-head trials are needed to guide personalized antidepressant strategies.
Expanding reach: Making supervised, accessible programs available outside the gym—think community health, home routines, and tele-supervised sessions.
Better reporting: More studies must track and report adherence, medication use, and protocol specifics so the field can fine-tune recommendations.
Safety, Ethics, and Caveats
Quality matters: The effect was smaller in trials with rigorous blinding of outcomes, suggesting some optimism bias—but a real, moderate effect remains.
Adherence is key: Depression can sap motivation; supervised, structured programs might yield better results.
Medication use under-reported: Some participants likely combined RET with antidepressants, but this wasn’t always tracked.
Limitations: Most studies ran 6–16 weeks. Long-term effects and optimal duration remain unknown.
Practicality: Supervision boosts results but might not always be feasible or affordable for all.
What This Could Mean for You
Practical, evidence-based advice:
Start simple: Two to three resistance sessions per week (using free weights, bands, or machines) are enough to potentially improve depressive symptoms.
No need to chase PRs: The mood lift doesn’t depend on dramatic strength gains or high-intensity “maxing out.”
Be consistent: Adherence is more important than intensity or duration—pick a routine you can stick with.
Get support: If motivation is hard to find, consider supervised classes, fitness buddies, or virtual coaching.
Talk to your team: If you have pre-existing health concerns or are on medication, discuss adding RET to your regimen with a healthcare provider.
Explore the Full Study
Association of Efficacy of Resistance Exercise Training With Depressive Symptoms: Meta-analysis and Meta-regression Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials
JAMA Psychiatry, 2018;75(6):566-576.
Got questions about how to start resistance training safely or tailor it to your needs? Leave a comment or consult a qualified trainer—your mind and body may thank you!