Trauma and Weight Training…

For years Psychologists have recommended exercise for mental health. Now it seems mental health groups are recommending formalized weightlifting routines as a therapeutic tool for those who have experienced both physical and psychological trauma. Physical trainers are being educated on how to deal with this special category. Why is it that lifting heavy things helps people with trauma recover? Research is finding that the resistance of weight training has a connection to building resilience. There is now a certification for any practitioner who wishes to become a special trainer for clients dealing with trauma. Yet people who have experienced some sort of emotional trauma may avoid exercise because it may raise heart rate, breathing, and body temperature-all symptoms which they feel may bring on anxiety. A beneficial system of weight training will include periods of rest in which the person is allowed to check in with themselves to see how they are feeling so as not to be overwhelmed. This gives the nervous system a chance to settle down, so it can absorb more stress as the sessions continue. Hope is that these people will feel more comfortable in their body and have a stronger mind-body connection.