This document is a review by Amenda Ramirez and Len Kravitz of an article entitled “Mental Health Benefits of strength training in adults” published in 2010 in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.

The review we will be discussing is entitled “Resistance Training Improves Mental Health”, and deals with the multiples benefits of strength training for mental health.

Introduction: This section highlights the health benefits of strength training, including its effects on mortality, cardiovascular health, body composition, glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and blood pressure. It also discusses its suitability for the prevention and management of osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and metabolic syndrome.

End by introducing the fact that there is not a lot of research on strength training mental health benefits.

Anxiety and Resistance Training: This section discusses how resistance training can be a meaningful intervention for people suffering from anxiety, with specific focus on the intensity of the training.

Brain Cognition and Resistance Training: This part explores the relationship between resistance training and brain cognition, particularly in older adults, and highlights the improvement in memory and executive functioning.

Depression and Resistance Training: Here, the article presents mixed results from studies examining the effect of resistance training on depression, suggesting further investigation is needed to determine the optimal dose for individuals suffering from symptoms of depression.

Chronic Fatigue and Resistance Training: Regarding this topic, the article emphasizes that exercise, particularly strength training, is clinically beneficial for chronic fatigue and may be more beneficial than drug or cognitive-behavioral interventions.

Self-Esteem and Resistance Training: Here is discussed how resistance training has been shown to improve self-esteem in various populations, including healthy younger and older adults, cancer patients, and those in cardiac rehabilitation.

Sleep and Resistance Training: The article explores the relationship between resistance training and sleep, highlighting that physically active individuals usually have healthy sleep patterns and that resistance training can improve sleep in depressed persons with sleep disorders.

Mechanisms of Improvement: The article speculates on the neurophysiological adaptations that occur with resistance training participation and their effects on mental processes.

Final Thoughts: The article concludes by summarizing the impressive mental health benefits of resistance training, including improved memory, executive control, reduced depression, less chronic fatigue, improved quality of sleep, improved cognition, reduced anxiety, and improved self-esteem.

How Gambling Affect The Brain

This article from APA.org written by Emily Sohn was published on July 2023. It is a research review of the article How gambling affects the brain and who is most vulnerable to addiction.

The article deals with the increasing accessibility and prevalence of gambling, highlighting the expansion from traditional casinos to lotteries, online games, and video games with gambling elements accessible to adults and children. It notes that sports betting is legal in many states, and the ease of gambling has raised concerns among psychologists about a rise in gambling problems.

The demographic most vulnerable to gambling addiction appears to be young people, particularly boys and men, who are also the main participants in sports betting and video game-based gambling. Research indicates that people in their early 20s are the fastest-growing group of gamblers, with many children starting to gamble at even younger ages. Early gambling is associated with psychological distress and a higher likelihood of developing gambling issues.