• UK
  • World
    • USA
  • Entertainment
    • Celeb
    • Showbiz
    • Magazine
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Gaming
  • Tech
  • Science
    • Education
  • Insurance
  • Business
  • Auto
  • ToS/Contact
    • ToS
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
NewsExplored
  • UK
  • World
    • USA
  • Entertainment
    • Celeb
    • Showbiz
    • Magazine
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Gaming
  • Tech
  • Science
    • Education
  • Insurance
  • Business
  • Auto
  • ToS/Contact
    • ToS
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • LinkedIn

  • Tumblr

  • RSS

UK

Gyms and mental health: ‘I can’t wait to be back on the squat rack’

Gyms and mental health: ‘I can’t wait to be back on the squat rack’
Newsexplored
25th July 2020
7
SHARES
ShareTweet
SubscribeRedditGoogleWhatsappStumbleuponPinterestDiggLinkedinTumblrTelegram
Views:
1
Jake, Hannah and CourtneyImage copyright Jake Smith/Hannah Hope/Courtney Davis

Lots of people will be celebrating as gyms reopen on Saturday after months of lockdown closures. But for some, it’s about more than just exercise.

Three young weightlifters spoke to Radio 1 Newsbeat about how weights have improved their mental health.

“I’ve always been a gym person, but it’s different now,” Jake Smith says. He has been treated in hospital for clinical depression and told us he tried to take his own life in January “after a series of knocks”.

Part of his treatment involved exercise. “I use it as a coping mechanism and somewhere I can go to feel safe,” the 24-year-old says. “Going to the gym and reaching the goals I’ve set really benefits me, probably more than the average person,” he says.

Jake can now squat 200kg – much more than when he started.

Image copyright Jake Smith
Image caption “I still have bad days, but I’m learning to deal with it.”

It’s that progress which Jake says feels like a win. “Any type of achievement feels good.”

He describes the gym as a form of therapy because it’s “a place I can be myself”.

  • Will people be rushing back to the gym?

Though he’s started running in lockdown, being without a gym for four months has been a struggle. “Because of the routine, going from four or five times a week to nothing has been challenging.”

“I can’t wait to be back on the squat rack.”

Jake adds: “Going to the gym isn’t only about lifting or exercising. It’s almost a social place with nobody judging you. And I enjoy being around people when they work out, the sound of weights hitting and people achieving things.”

‘Lifting weights has made me eat regularly’

Image copyright Hannah Hope
Image caption Hannah started with pole fitness and then found the gym to become much stronger.

Weight training in the gym was a “turning point” for Hannah Hope.

data-ad-format="auto">

The 24-year-old had anxiety at the age of 17, later living with depression and anorexia. She was “scared to leave the house and go anywhere that was crowded”, leading to her becoming very isolated.

After treatment, she said working on her physical fitness was the first time she “felt free from everything”. “I learned to lift weights. The only thing I could focus on at that moment in time was lifting. I think, ‘oh, my body can do this’.”

That realisation made Hannah understand the importance of eating properly to be healthy and strong.

“Lifting weights in the gym has made sure that I’m now eating regularly and eating well. And I’ve realised it’s way more important what my body can do rather than how it looks.”


Hannah says going to the gym helps to lift negative thoughts: “The problems may not have gone, but it makes me feel like I’m more in control.”

And she he has missed it during lockdown. “Not being able to walk into a gym, see those faces and train has been difficult. I’ve had days where I’ve just stayed in bed and not had the motivation to get up.”

The science behind exercise and mental health

According to Dr Amit Mistry, there’s strong evidence about the benefits of exercise to our mental health.

“When we engage in moderate levels of exercise, we know we can boost endorphin levels,” says Dr Mistry, who is the chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists for Sport and Exercise interests group.

Endorphins are a feel-good chemical in our brains – linked to our mood – which we release when exercising.

But he adds that too much exercise can have “a detrimental effect”, so it’s important to set realistic goals and not “obsess too much about numbers”.

‘The fitter I get, the mentally stronger I am’

Image copyright Courtney Davies
Image caption “I feel loads better after I’ve worked out” says Courtney

For Courtney Davies, training at the gym helps her “when the bad days hit”.

The 23-year-old tells Newsbeat a sexual assault left her with post-traumatic stress disorder: “It’s hard to explain to people who’ve never experienced it. You basically lose yourself – I’m not the same person I was.

“I was grieving for the person I was before. But you have to try and discover yourself.”

And that’s how the gym plays a massive role for Courtney. Like with Jake, having goals helped Courtney.

“I needed a focus and the training side of things gets me where I need to be mentally and physically.”

It’s cardio and “mainly weights” which let Courtney focus on “the here and now”.

She says that along with physical help, the trainers at her gym help her mindset. “They give support and advice which you can use when bad days come. So I know then the best thing for me is to get up and train.”

“I feel like the fitter I get, the mentally stronger and happier I am.”

Courtney says the slow return to fitness normality will help her mental health.

“You can’t get the same heavy equipment as the gym. I can’t wait to go back and have that transition where you can go to the gym, workout and come home, rather than being in the living room or kitchen.”

Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays – or listen back here

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Share on Skype (Opens in new window)

Related

Related Itemshealthmentalsquat
UK
25th July 2020
Newsexplored @newsexploredweb

Related Itemshealthmentalsquat

More in UK

  • Read More
    Sutton Hoo: The Anglo Saxon treasures that inspired The Dig starring Ralph Fiennes

    Views:1 image copyrightNetflix image captionCarey Mulligan as Sutton Hoo landowner Edith Pretty with Ralph Fiennes as archaeologist...

    Newsexplored 25th July 2020
  • Read More
    The Papers: ‘Quarantine hotels’ and jab for over-18s ‘by June’

    Views:1 By BBC NewsStaff image captionSunday’s front pages include details of the government’s plans for Covid vaccinations...

    Newsexplored 25th July 2020
  • Read More
    Scotland’s papers: UK shuts borders and vaccine ‘wastage’ concerns

    Views:1 image captionThe Times reports that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has suspended all of Britain’s quarantine-free travel...

    Newsexplored 25th July 2020
  • Read More
    Aerial photos capture ‘tree of life’ structures in Norfolk and Suffolk

    Views:1 By Martin BarberBBC News, East image copyrightMike Page image captionThe ‘trees’ are created in the mudflats...

    Newsexplored 25th July 2020
  • Read More
    Covid-19: Is Northern Ireland winning the battle against the virus?

    Views:1 By Eunan McConvilleBBC News NI image copyrightGetty Images The coronavirus pandemic has brought with it an...

    Newsexplored 25th July 2020
  • Read More
    The Papers: ‘Fortress Britain’ and ‘modern miracle workers’

    Views:1 By BBC NewsStaff image captionA decision to close all travel corridors to the UK from Monday...

    Newsexplored 25th July 2020
  • Read More
    Covid: Will mass community testing be offered across Wales?

    Views:1 image copyrightGetty Images image captionHundreds queued around the leisure centre in Merthyr Tydfil to get tested...

    Newsexplored 25th July 2020
  • Read More
    Belfast Multi-Cultural Association fire ‘was deliberate hate crime’

    Views:1 media captionThe Belfast Multi-Cultural Association was working to serve the community, says Muhammed Atif Police have...

    Newsexplored 25th July 2020
  • Read More
    How did debut artist Olivia Rodgrigo break chart records?

    Views:1 By Mark SavageBBC music reporter image copyrightOlivia Rodrigo / Instagram image captionThe newcomer’s single overtook Ed...

    Newsexplored 25th July 2020
  • Read More
    Wales bringing in new safety rules for shops

    Views:1 media captionCovid lockdown: Are supermarkets following the rules? New laws for shoppers and staff are to...

    Newsexplored 25th July 2020
  • Read More
    Wayne Rooney: Derby County confirm ex-England captain as manager

    Views:1 Wayne Rooney officially joined Derby in a player-coach role in January 2020 Championship side Derby County...

    Newsexplored 25th July 2020
  • Read More
    In pictures: Winter scenes from around the UK

    Views:1 As temperatures drop in parts of the UK, we look at some of the most striking...

    Newsexplored 25th July 2020
Scroll for more
Tap
data-ad-format="auto">
NewsExplored

NewsExplored - Making sure all the latest news is explored?

Contact us for help

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • Comments

  • Trump pardons two convicted by Russia investigation
    USA23rd December 2020
  • New coronavirus variant: What do we know?
    UK20th December 2020
  • Kieran Trippier suspended for 10 weeks over breaches of betting rules
    Sports23rd December 2020
  • The Papers: UK and EU on ‘verge’ of Brexit trade deal
    UK23rd December 2020
  • Trump impeachment: When will he go on trial in the Senate?
    USA16th January 2021
  • Joe Biden unveils $1.9tn US economic relief package
    USA15th January 2021
  • How much can Joe Biden get done on the US economy?
    USA14th January 2021
  • Could Liz Cheney spark a revolt?
    USA13th January 2021
  • Les Rehrer says:

    Hello Its me :P and thanks for this post

  • optumrx login says:

    Thank For News.

  • Kent Laatsch says:

    Please let me know if you're looking for a writer…

  • Bob says:

    RT News was where I learned that Erdogan controlled isis.…

Copyright © 2018 Top News Theme. Theme by MVP Themes, powered by Wordpress.

Did Bournemouth beach crowds spread coronavirus?
Working from home: How to cut your tax bill
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok