Dumbbell-based resistance exercise training helped young adults with depression feel better.
- Traditional treatments for depression, such as antidepressants and psychotherapy, have their limitations.
- To alleviate depressive symptoms, regular practice of resistance physical exercises based on dumbbells is effective.
- In France, a study revealed last February that cases of depression among young people aged 18 to 24 had almost doubled.
Resistance exercise training has been linked in a new study to the reduction of depressive symptoms in young adults.
Depression: the limits of traditional treatments
Traditional treatments for depression, such as antidepressants and psychotherapy, have their limitations, particularly in terms of effectiveness and side effects. It is therefore necessary to explore alternative and complementary treatment options, particularly for individuals with mild to moderate depressive symptoms.
Previous studies have also established the potential antidepressant effects of exercise, but most have focused primarily on aerobic exercise training (marchery, running, cycling, swimming, dancing, skating, jumping rope…).
A Dumbbell-Based Workout Program to Beat Depression
Armed with all this data, researchers wanted to explore the effect of resistance exercises on depression (lifting weights, core training, squats, chairs, etc.). To do this, they analyzed data from two randomized trials conducted in parallel.
Both studies included 55 young adults. To be included, participants had to meet specific criteria, including being between the ages of 18 and 40, not having any medical conditions that would contraindicate participation in exercise training, and not being a pregnant or breastfeeding woman.
Participants were randomly assigned to a resistance training program or a control condition that did not involve specific physical exercises. The fitness program included eight different exercises, including the dumbbell back squat, dumbbell bench press, dumbbell curls, and dumbbell lunges.
Doing dumbbells reduces depressive symptoms and anxiety
HAS At the end of the experiment, the researchers found that regular resistance training significantly reduced negative symptoms in the entire sample of young adults, both in those with major depressive disorder and in people with signs of generalized anxiety disorders. This action was the same in men and women, and the antidepressant effect of the dumbbells was most pronounced between the first and fourth weeks of sport.
In France, cases of depression among young people are increasing
Around 37% of depressions appear before the age of 25. In France, a study revealed last February that cases among young people aged 18 to 24 had almost doubled.
Symptoms of depression can vary from person to person. Some of the most common signs include persistent sadness, loss of interest in daily activities, changes in weight or appetite, problems sleeping, constant fatigue, decreased energy, difficulty to concentrate as well as feelings of uselessness or guilt.
