When done in a sensible and controlled manner, absolutely not! Lifting weights (or progressive resistance training) is great for many health issues including; depression and anxiety, osteoporosis, stress, diabetes, high blood pressure, and of course, back pain (1)!
Obviously you need to know what you're doing and have a personalised program designed for your own situation, but the great thing about it is you don't need to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger to start!
Resistance training actually stimulates the body to strengthen and thicken your bones, which is particularly important for people with osteoporosis (2). As we age our body loses muscle mass which then leads to weakness, frailty and potentially falls and injuries. The best remedy for this is to stay strong and limit the muscle loss by doing resistance training!
Studies have even shown that lifting weights is good for children and adolescents, and no it doesn’t stunt your growth (3). Some research actually indicates that it may help with the opposite as it appears that resistance training in adolescents increases some hormones that promote growth! (4)
The positive effects of resistance training aren't just limited to the physical either. Research shows that it can act as a powerful anti-depressant whilst also improving morale, strength, and quality of life (5). It has also been shown to reduce anxiety symptoms in both healthy participants and those living with mental or physical illnesses (6).
I feel these last two points are particularly important as it is well known that a high proportion of the population are living with either depression, anxiety, or depressive symptoms. It doesn't take a genius to see that resistance training is being severely underutilised. It really should be looked at more closely as an effective treatment approach and as a way to potentially help people off of strong medications, many of which have nasty side effects.
Sure, it's possible to injure yourself lifting weights and to be truthful it happens fairly commonly. But if you're not a regularly physically active person then it's more likely that you'd strain your back by simply unloading the washing machine or bending over whilst weeding the garden. Most injuries, whether they result from lifting weights or in day to day life, occur from doing “too much too soon after doing too little for too long”. I've seen that quote somewhere before but I can't quite remember where from sorry.
To sum up, your body is extremely adaptive and durable. It becomes stronger the more we use it and does not simply wear out. We are not made of inanimate materials and our bodies have the ability to repair and regenerate. I urge you all to get lifting!
If you would like any more information or are experiencing back pain and would like some advice, you can book an appointment at Forward Osteo online or call the clinic on 03 5215 1788.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @forwardosteo for more content!
Aidan Mill is the owner and principal osteopath at Forward Osteo
Osteopath Geelong West
1. Steele, J., Bruce-Low, S., Smith, D., Jessop, D., & Osborne, N. (2017). Isolated Lumbar Extension Resistance Training Improves Strength, Pain, and Disability, but Not Spinal Height or Shrinkage (“Creep”) in Participants with Chronic Low Back Pain. CARTILAGE.
2. Watson, S., Weeks, B., Weis, L., Harding, A., Horan, S., & Beck, B. (2019). High‐Intensity Resistance and Impact Training Improves Bone Mineral Density and Physical Function in Postmenopausal Women With Osteopenia and Osteoporosis: The LIFTMOR Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 34(3), 572–572. doi: 10.1002/jbmr.3659
3. Zwolski, C., Quatman-Yates, C., & Paterno, M. V. (2017). Resistance Training in Youth: Laying the Foundation for Injury Prevention and Physical Literacy. Sports health, 9(5), 436–443. https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738117704153
4. Falk B, Eliakim A. Resistance training, skeletal muscle and growth. Pediatric Endocrinology Reviews : PER. 2003 Dec;1(2):120-127.
5. Singh, N. A., Clements, K. M., & Fiatarone, M. A. (1997). A Randomized Controlled Trial of Progressive Resistance Training in Depressed Elders. The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 52A(1). doi: 10.1093/gerona/52a.1.m27
6. Gordon, B. R., Mcdowell, C. P., Lyons, M., & Herring, M. P. (2017). The Effects of Resistance Exercise Training on Anxiety: A Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Sports Medicine, 47(12), 2521–2532. doi: 10.1007/s40279-017-0769-0
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