Improve Mood, Focus And Productivity With Strength Training

Do you even lift? The answer should be ‘yes’ – but not for simply being buff.

Media headlines, personal experience and personal intuition tell us that lifting weights is a good thing.

Ask anyone who trains and the majority will tell you they feel happier, more alert and have more energy after training. But why? What’s happening at a physiological level to the body?

Let’s break things down to better understand the research behind it — and to set in play some practical takeaways.

What is strength training? 

Strength training — commonly referred to as weights training, resistance training, or hypertrophy training — encompasses any form of resistance to create mechanical tension through the muscle.

For most people, the goal of incorporating this area of training is to gain muscle and lose body fat (yes – a want to secure a big chest, big arms, big booty or beach body et. al). But unless genetics are on your side, the ability to put on pure muscle mass is much harder than you think.

I think back to training at the same ‘big box’ gym for five years. I went to the same gym, 5 days per week, recognising the same faces every day. Years went by and these familiar faces (and bodies) underwent no noticeable changes to their physical appearance.

So, what kept them coming back?

It’s clear. Strength training can do a lot of good for the body and, when informed by personalised programs, can achieve increased caloric expenditure, improved lean muscle-to-body-fat-ratio, increased strength, reduction in falls with ageing, better movement capabilities, heart health, stronger bones … the list really goes on.

Still, after having conversations with hundreds of clients over the years, a lot of what brings them back to strength training is not always the way it makes them look but the way it makes them feel. Things like, keeping up a good routine as well as the effect it has on their mood, focus and productivity, in all aspects of life.

What science says about strength training

Let’s break down some of the research. A study done by Harvard Medical School examining multiple randomised clinical trials showed people who performed resistance training more than two days a week saw significant reductions in depressive symptoms compared to those who did not. It’s also been shown to increase growth hormone (GH) which has been shown to lead to a decrease in depressive-like symptoms in some cases.

Elsewhere, a Danish study of 3500 workers who trained as little as one hour a week saw an increase in workplace productivity.

Still, how can you implement strength training and reap the benefits – here, my top three takeaways.

1 – Get an expert coach and a training environment that motivates 

Personal training is a rapidly growing industry, with many professionals who each bring different approaches – each one to help you meet your specific goals. Finding a coach you align with, who trains from a space that inspires you, is key.

2 -Determine what is feasible

Find a time that suits and try to be consistent, but also be open to flexibility. One of the biggest mistakes I see is people getting caught up at work or at home, and thinking ‘it’s too late now’, or, ‘I’ll give the gym a miss today’. I guarantee somewhere in that day you have 30-60 minutes. Find a gym that prioritises your individual needs, aligns with your ever-changing schedule and budget and ignites a fire within you so that you commit to getting there.

3- Work with a coach to develop a personalised program

The plan needs to be specific to your body and your goals. The risk of not doing this will mean, not inching closer to your ideal weight, not increasing your strength and not mentally feeling any different. Looking better and seeing real physiological changes, with thanks to a great program will in turn, also provide a better head space, drive focus and productivity,

Simply put, weight training can act as a healthy part of any day, allowing you to tune out from work and a busy life. A day that you typically sit at a chair looking at a screen or full of stressful meetings. Strength training should be about enjoying the process and having some fun, whilst knowing you are doing something instrumental for your mind, body, work and your family.