Strength Training Benefits - Mental Health

 Strength Training Benefits - Mental Health

    Many of us tend to feel better when we exercise. Whether we are depressed, angry, frustrated, annoyed, or any emotion at all, physical activity always seems to relieve those stressors. However, many of us don't know why this actually happens. Don't worry though, we'll jump right into it!


    Let's begin with Endorphins and positive chemicals. This scientific word is simply mood enhancing hormones. The positive chemicals are comprised of serotonin and dopamine. These hormones are produced in the pituitary gland and hypothalamus and are released when we partake in exercise. 

    Serotonin is a main neurotransmitter and is commonly known as our "happy chemical". Serotonin is responsible for regulating our mood, appetite, digestion, and sleep. These chemicals are mainly released during exercise in our brain and is closely tied to our overall wellbeing.

    Dopamine is the brain's "reward chemical". It is responsible for our feelings of rewards, motivation, and pleasure. Simply, this chemical gives us satisfaction and a drive to complete goals.

    Endorphins are our pleasure hormones. These hormones released during exercise are targeted towards reducing stress, anxiety, and depression.

    All of these work simultaneously to provide our bodies with senses of positivity. All we have to do is exercise! 


Tysen LaRocco CPT
Last updated:10/21/25, 2:52pm

Comments

  1. Emmaly McLuskyOctober 21, 2025 at 3:16 PM

    Hello Tysen, this is a really good, clear, and concise explanation of what happens to hormones during exercise. I would love to add that there are many health complications that pertain to these hormones! The health conditions for serotonin are anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The conditions for dopamine are depression, schizophrenia, and attention-deficit hyperactive disorder. It's really important to mention these because although it may not heal completely, you can help the symptoms of anxiety, depression, OCD, ADHD, and schizophrenia through exercise alone!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Noah's Toronto newsOctober 22, 2025 at 6:08 AM

    Hey, Tysen, this is an amazing Blog to start off strong with. Great details of information that the readers can understand and learn about. Mental Health is a huge issue in our world right now, and being active can help with our mental health a lot. Just going for a walk is all it takes for our body to feel good. Those little things can help our bodies.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Brian Young JrOctober 23, 2025 at 8:37 AM

    Hey Tysen, I think this was a very in-depth breakdown of why exercise makes us feel better. I thought you were very detailed in explaining what each term was. I learned that endorphins are our pleasure hormones which I didn't know before. I think that mental health doesn't get talked about as often as it needs to so the fact that you are talking about it says a lot about your character. Keep up the good work

    ReplyDelete
  4. Haley BrownOctober 29, 2025 at 12:08 PM

    Hi Tysen! I really enjoyed reading your blog. It's a well-known fact that exercise can benefit our mental health, but you broke it down a lot further, which is also important to do. You gave a great description about each hormone and how it affects us as humans. It's remarkable how small changes can have a significant impact on our minds.

    ReplyDelete

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