Surprise! It’s not just for jocks anymore

Weightlifting, particularly for women, often takes a backseat to aerobic fitness activities like walking, running, spinning, dancing, and swimming. In addition, there’s a common misconception that weightlifting may benefit the body, but not the brain.

Current research, however, is beginning to reveal the many brain health benefits of weightlifting, including gains in cognitive function, neuroplasticity, hormone balancing, and protecting the brain from cognitive decline. This research is demonstrating that there are physical reasons, as well as motivational arguments, for my Insight that “80% of health resides in the brain.”

So if you want to build muscle (which holds more water and burns more calories at rest than fat) and boost your brain health, add weight (or resistance) training to your exercise program. Because resistance work — which stimulates muscle growth — is also profoundly beneficial for our brain.

What happens to your brain when you lift

• Enhanced neuroplasticity: Strength training encourages the brain to create new neural connections, a process known as neuroplasticity. This allows the brain to adapt and learn more effectively, which can improve cognitive function. Adults performing twice-weekly resistance training for six months demonstrated improved memory test performance along with brain changes consistent with healthier neurons and less shrinkage in areas vulnerable to cognitive decline.

• Improved cognitive function: Regular strength training has been linked to improvements in various cognitive functions, including memory, attention, and executive function (the ability to plan, organize, and make decisions).
• Reduced risk of cognitive decline: Strength training may help reduce the risk of age-related cognitive decline, including dementia, by improving brain health and structure.
• Hormonal effects: Strength training can increase the production of hormones like insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), neurotrophic factors (BDNF), which can stimulate brain connections and enhance cognitive function, improve blood flow to the brain, and reduce chronic inflammation — all of which support brain cell health, neurogenesis, and connectivity.
• Synaptic efficiency: Resistance training can also improve the efficiency of synapses, the junctions where neurons communicate with each other. This leads to quicker and more coordinated movements.
• May help to prevent Alzheimer’s disease: Some research suggests that strength training may help protect against Alzheimer’s disease by promoting neuroprotective effects in specific brain regions.
• Beyond the measurable neurobiology, there are the mental/emotional effects: lifting improves mood, reduces stress, builds self-esteem, and strengthens the mind-body connection.

In short: When you challenge your muscles in a meaningful way, your brain receives signals, literally, that say: “Prepare to grow. Adapt. Sustain.”

Here’s how to incorporate weight training into your wellness routine

As someone who advocates a Modern Wellness philosophy — integrating skin health, metabolic health, mental wellness, and brain wellness — I’ve made resistance work a regular part of my own routine, as well as my recommendations for patients. Here’s the plan:

1. Set aside dedicated resistance sessions

I aim for at least two sessions per week of structured weightlifting or resistance training. This aligns with much of the research. Some patients may do more, depending on capacity and goals, but consistency is key.

2. Make it progressive

As you grow in strength, you need to increase your workout (weight, repetitions, or both) to keep inducing positive adaptation in the brain-body system. This ensures the stimulus remains fresh for muscle and brain.

3. Pair it with other brain-building habits

Lifting on its own is powerful, but I integrate it with the other brain health pillars I teach: hydration, nutrient-rich diet (especially omega-3s, antioxidants), quality sleep, stress management, and mental stimulation. Resistance training probably yields greater returns when done alongside these.

4. Emphasize recovery and intention

Many folks mistakenly believe “doing more” always equals “better.” But for brain health, as with body health, recovery is where adaptation happens. Good sleep, proper nutrition, and intentional rest between lifting sessions allow the brain-body system to reap the benefits rather than stay in constant stress.

Results to look for

Here are some of the “real world” changes people report (and many I’ve witnessed) when they make resistance training a regular habit:

• Better focus during the day. Some patients say they feel sharper in the afternoon — less “brain‐fog.”
• Improved mood and resilience: because lifting releases the body’s “good chemistry” (endorphins, etc.), it also helps blunt chronic stress and its negative effects on the brain.
• Enhanced memory and planning ability: especially for older adults, the research suggests resistance exercise helps preserve brain volume and executive functions.
• A stronger mind-body connection: when you’re lifting, you must attend to form, to muscle activation, to breathing. That mindful attention carries over into life.
• Perhaps most importantly: a sense of investment in your future brain health. Every heavy set is a message your system receives: “We’re building resilience.”

Practical tips to get started safely

• If you’re new to lifting, consult a qualified trainer or physical therapist to ensure safety, proper form, and program design.
• Choose compound movements (e.g., squats, deadlifts, presses) as these recruit larger muscle mass and may have greater systemic effects.
• Aim for 2–4 sessions per week of resistance work, depending on your schedule and recovery.
• Ensure progression: gradually increase weights, reps, or difficulty.
• Pair your lifting days with good sleep, nutrition rich in brain-supportive nutrients (e.g., omega-3s, antioxidants), and hydration.
• Listen to your body: fatigue, overtraining, or poor recovery blunt the benefits; the brain benefits most when the body is recovering well.
• Finally: view lifting as investment, not punishment. Just as I talk often about “taking care of your brain” in a positive, proactive manner, think of each session as building neural resilience, not just muscle resilience.

One key can open many doors

One of the more than 600 Insights I’ve shared with my patients is that “One key can open many doors.” This Insight reflects my observation that sometimes making one change can offer cascading benefits in multiple areas of your life.

I believe weightlifting can be one such key—unlocking better physical, mental, and emotional health. That’s because the brain isn’t an isolated organ. It’s the command center, influencing immune function, hormones, mood, metabolism, skin quality, and longevity, as well as cognition and creativity. So when you invest in weight training, you’re not only building a healthier body; you’re building a better brain.

And, as your muscles grow stronger and more capable, your brain receives a powerful “you matter” message, and it adapts accordingly. The benefit goes beyond the bench press or squat — it reaches into your cognitive resilience, your mood stability, and your future brain health.

I invite you to commit — for a month, two sessions per week — with the right guidance, and see how your brain responds. Weightlifting may just be the “One key that opens many doors” for your overall health.

That’s #ModernWellness!

BONUS:

Dr. Murad’s Brain-Health Guidelines

• Eat your water! Dehydration reduces brain efficiency.
• Nourish: Include antioxidant- and omega-3-rich foods post-workout.
• Sleep: Muscles and neurons repair during deep sleep.
• Consistency > Intensity: Two to three well-executed sessions per week deliver more benefits than a single high-intensity workout. Repetition changes your brain chemistry.
• Stay curious: Learn new exercises regularly to keep neuroplasticity alive.