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Working with a personal trainer was one of the best things I ever did for my mental health. Our health and physiology are completely interconnected with our mental wellbeing. I spent a lot of time focusing on therapy and medication with some results. The reality is, that’s only half of the equation. I wanted to touch on three reasons why working with a personal trainer is worthwhile.
REMOVE STRESS AND GUESSWORK
Going to the gym for the first time can be stressful. If you don’t know how to use machines or do certain exercises, it can be intimidating. You can feel like everyone is watching you (they aren’t) and have no idea where to start.
Having someone who knows what they are doing, can explain how various exercises and machines work and can guide you through some programming eliminates all of the guesswork and stress from not knowing how to start.
CORRECT DOSAGE
Periodization, progressive overload and overtraining are all things that need to be managed in order for training to be effective. When people don’t mix things up (periodization & progressive overload), they stall out, and the mental and physical benefits of exercise start to stall out as well.
A good trainer knows how and when to shake things up to keep you moving forward.
Overtraining is an easy trap to fall into as well. I’ve fallen into it several times. Having someone that can regulate you will help ensure you aren’t doing too much of a good thing.
GET MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS
We know that exercise literally changes your physiological reactivity to stress. It decreases the amount of cortisol released in response to stress. It reduces anxiety and improves mood both immediately and in the 24 hours that follow. It increases energy and reduces tiredness.*
A recurring theme in exercise studies on mental health is 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise, 3 times per week. The most recent study I learned about from Dr. Layne Norton on HubermanLab showed that exercise was twice as effective as SSRI antidepressants when they are at their best. I'd actually heard that before as well. Here's what he says:
They took men with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder and they had them resistance train two times a week for 25 minutes a session. 50 minutes total, 8 weeks.
They used some stat numbers to explain the effect size. He put it into context:
.2 is considered small, .5 is considered moderate and .8 is considered large, anything above .8. SSRIs are typically in the .3 to .5 range, I think in, like, best case scenarios, they get up around a .7 - .8. The effect size for resistance training, two times a week, 25 minutes a day, for 8 weeks, was a 1.7.
*All of these benefits and the studies can be found in these CINDERS posts:
Coaches, mentors, financial advisors, and therapists are all examples of professionals that can be a valuable add to your team. In my experience, working with a personal trainer for at least a period of time is a great way to maximize your mental health benefits.
Do you have any questions on this article? Do you have any topics you'd like to see covered in the future? Email me at jack@leaveitcinders.com and let me know!
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