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Does lifting weights help with anxiety and depression?

By Stelvo Team · · 5 min read

Short answer: yes, and the effect is not small. Pooling 33 randomised trials with 1,877 participants, resistance training reduced depressive symptoms with a moderate effect size of 0.66 — a number needed to treat of 4 — and it worked whether or not participants got stronger. For anxiety, 16 trials found an effect of 0.31 overall and 0.50 in healthy people. In the biggest head-to-head comparison of exercise types for depression, strength training ranked with walking and yoga among the most effective, and the effect grew with intensity.

Does resistance training help depression?

In every pooled analysis so far. Fifty-four effects from 33 randomised clinical trials, with 947 people assigned to resistance exercise training and 930 to non-active controls, showed a significant reduction in depressive symptoms with a moderate mean effect of 0.66 (95% CI 0.48–0.83) and a number needed to treat of 4; the total volume of training prescribed, participants' health status and whether their strength actually improved did not change the antidepressant effect (Gordon et al., JAMA Psychiatry, 2018). Trials with blinded allocation or assessment found smaller reductions, so the true effect is probably somewhat below 0.66 — still clinically meaningful.

A 2024 network meta-analysis of 218 trials and 14,170 participants compared exercise types directly: against active controls such as usual care, walking or jogging (effect −0.62), yoga (−0.55), strength training (−0.49), mixed aerobic exercise (−0.43) and tai chi or qigong (−0.42) all produced moderate reductions in depression, the effects were proportional to the intensity prescribed, and strength training and yoga appeared to be the most acceptable modalities to participants (Noetel et al., BMJ, 2024).

Outcome Effect of resistance training Trials / participants Source
Depressive symptoms Δ = 0.66 (moderate); NNT 4 33 RCTs, 1,877 Gordon et al., 2018
Depression vs active controls g = −0.49 (walking −0.62, yoga −0.55) 218 RCTs, 14,170 Noetel et al., 2024
Anxiety symptoms, all participants Δ = 0.31 16 studies, 922 Gordon et al., 2017
Anxiety symptoms, healthy participants Δ = 0.50 subgroup Gordon et al., 2017
Days of poor mental health per month (all exercise) −43.2% vs matched non-exercisers 1,237,194 adults Chekroud et al., 2018

Does lifting weights help anxiety?

Yes, with a smaller but consistent effect. Thirty-one effects from 16 trials involving 922 participants (mean age 43, 68% female) showed resistance exercise training significantly reduced anxiety symptoms (Δ = 0.31, 95% CI 0.17–0.44), with larger effects among healthy participants (Δ = 0.50) than among people with a physical or mental illness (Δ = 0.19); sex, age, programme length, session duration, frequency, intensity and whether strength improved did not moderate the effect (Gordon et al., Sports Medicine, 2017). The heterogeneity across trials was low, which makes the estimate unusually stable for exercise research.

How much exercise for mental health?

About 45 minutes, three to five times a week. In a cross-sectional analysis of 1,237,194 US adults, people who exercised reported 1.49 fewer days of poor mental health in the past month than matched non-exercisers — 43.2% fewer — with the largest associations for team sports (22.3% lower burden), cycling (21.6%) and aerobic and gym activities (20.1%), and the strongest results at durations around 45 minutes and frequencies of three to five times a week; more was not always better (Chekroud et al., The Lancet Psychiatry, 2018). In the trial data, Noetel's analysis found larger effects for more intense exercise, so a hard 45-minute session appears to beat an easy long one.

Does it matter whether you get stronger?

Not for the mental-health effect. In both of Gordon's meta-analyses, trials in which participants' strength improved significantly did not show larger reductions in depressive or anxiety symptoms than trials in which it did not, and the total volume of training prescribed was unrelated to the antidepressant effect (Gordon et al., 2018; Gordon et al., 2017). The sessions themselves seem to carry the benefit — which makes lifting a lower-stakes prescription than it sounds: showing up matters more than the numbers on the bar.

Is lifting better than cardio for mental health?

Comparable, and worth combining. Walking or jogging had the largest effect on depression in the network meta-analysis, strength training and yoga were close behind and were the most acceptable to participants, and the cross-sectional data found every exercise type associated with a lower mental-health burden (minimum 11.8%, maximum 22.3%) (Noetel et al., 2024; Chekroud et al., 2018). The CDC guideline of 150 minutes of aerobic activity plus two days of muscle-strengthening covers both (CDC).

FAQ

How quickly does lifting improve mood?

The trials measured symptoms at mid- and post-intervention over programmes of several weeks; the cross-sectional data reflect people already exercising regularly. Expect weeks rather than sessions for a measurable change in symptoms.

Can the gym make anxiety worse?

The pooled trials found reductions, not increases, in anxiety, including among people with existing physical or mental illness (Δ = 0.19). Discomfort in the gym environment is a separate issue from the effect of the training itself.

Should I lift if I'm depressed?

The trial evidence supports resistance training as an adjunct with a number needed to treat of 4; it is not a replacement for treatment, and the authors recommend comparing it directly with established therapies in future trials.

Sources

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