Did strength training also make you a stronger person emotionally?

[Endo33]

I've recently started strength training.

Doing so has brought so many things from my childhood and past toxic relationship to the surface, memories I had long forgotten about. At first it put me off exercising as I'd remember something from the past and feel all weak and depressed. But I find myself having a different attitude to them now and imagine myself taking less crap etc.

The transition is tough but once I'm through the emotional upheaval I feel like my personality is tougher too, in a good way.

Did anyone else find this when they started strength training? I'm just wondering if I'm normal or super weird!?

I'm not very good at strength training, I don't enjoy the gym so don't stick at it, but I definitely feel that way about running.

I feel like I can achieve anything and am not scared of anything since I got fit and strong and started challenging myself.

Strength training definitely improves my mood and I always spell out "fuck you cancer," in my head when doing medicine ball slams. As someone who's just completed treatment for breast cancer it makes me feel better, I'm exercising and I'm slamming those weights into the ground with extra feeling!

Yes, any exercise or sport or hobby you take seriously and get better at. This is actually one thing I look out for when interviewing employees.

Hiking was probably best for that, and to some extent running. It's when you're somewhere very inconvenient, knackered and the best solution is to power on and get yourself out of there.

What I love about a few years of weight training is that I can now put the food shopping in two IKEA bags, stick one on each shoulder and carry them across the car park and cut out the faff of returning the trolley to the entrance.
My DCs get through a lot of cans of rice pudding too, so the bags are not light!

I love being strong 💪 I love being able to pick up heavy things, I don't know if that makes me weird or not 😅 I like it when a guy says 'Let me get that for you love' and I'm errrr no thanks mate.

I have so many friends in their 50s and beyond who are feeble, many of them roll their eyes and say 'Are you going to the gym AGAIN?'

Good on you @Endo33 for making the change, keep pumping that iron sister 🤩

I think the 21st century has made us forget that we live in a body. Weight training (or any other exercise really) reminds of us of that, and when we return to our bodies we can reduce/manage/forget/deal with all the other shit that lives in our heads.

It’s been transformative for my mental health (at the age of 55!) and I’m glad it’s working for you too OP.

I don't know if it has made me emotionally stronger but certainly more confident and of course being stronger is just a great thing in daily life.

My favourite moment: carrying a large and heavy flower pot across the garden centre car park and and an elderly gentleman stopped to marvel: woaaah, strong woman! 😆

That's very interesting. Apparently our experiences stay in our body and movement helps process them..almost like complete the cycle? I'll have to take up strength training.