Weightlifting could help heal trauma new study finds

Weightlifting isn’t just good for your muscles according to a new study that found hitting the gym on a regular basis can also heal our trauma through the mind-body connection. 

This quantitative study examined a group of 46 weightlifters who said they experienced psychological trauma but found physical exercise helped alleviate their emotional pain. 

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There is a growing body of evidence from the past decade that shows physical activity can be beneficial for improving our mental health according to The New York Times. 

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Research has revealed that hitting the gym can be particularly helpful for those who are suffering from the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder, yet we’ve never known why.

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Researcher Eva Nowakowski-Sims and her colleagues wanted to investigate the effects of weightlifting to see how this form of physical activity contributed to healing trauma. 

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26 women, 3 men, and 12 people who identified as transgender, agender, or non-binary took part in the research with varying levels of trauma according to the study’s authors. 

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The types of trauma that qualified the study’s participants included interpersonal trauma like abuse, neglect, or assault, as well as intrapersonal traumas like experiencing a car accident, natural disaster, or invasive medical procedure. 

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There was a third trauma qualifier defined as systemic trauma, which meant a participant had experienced systemic trauma related to oppression and discrimination in their lives.

According to PsyPost, each participant underwent a questionnaire over Zoom where researchers inquired about how each participant got into weightlifting and how they thought it could help others. 

Participants were specifically asked to explain how weightlifting had been helpful in their healing journeys and how they believed exercise helped their emotional well-being.  

Researchers were able to draw two important conclusions from the answers provided by their study participants regarding why weightlifting helped heal their psychological traumas. 

First, the researchers found that current and past psychological traumas had created a disconnect between the participant's mind and body “fueled by hyper- or hypo-vigilance, impulsivity, and dysregulation.”

However, the second conclusion revealed that their trauma was healed through the “felt sense of mind-body connection" that was achieved through the process of weightlifting.

The researchers concluded the weightlifting amount their participants created “a healthier, more empowered, and connected trauma survivor,” insights which the study’s authors said could be used to develop “trauma-informed gym spaces” or in trauma recovery. 

“Weight lifting was a grounding experience that helped participants facilitate a more embodied presence. They were able to recognize the mind-body connection and use the embodied experience to positively influence their thoughts,” researchers wrote. 

“Weight lifting is a felt experience that creates a unique way for people with past trauma to live in relationship with their own body,” the researchers added.