By Heleen Woest, LPC

If you had told me a few years ago that I would be writing a blog post about the mental health benefits of lifting heavy things, I would have laughed out loud. Probably while sitting on my couch, eating something I shouldn’t, and watching Netflix.

For most of my life, I hated exercise. I forced myself to do it when I had to, but my relationship with fitness was a classic “feast or famine” cycle. When I was “on,” I ate perfectly, exercised religiously, and went hard after my goals. I felt great – until the inevitable crash. Then the next cycle would hit: I would eat junk food, do absolutely zero exercise, isolate myself, and binge-watch television until the guilt became too heavy to bear.

As a mental health provider, my job is mainly sedentary. I spend my days sitting in a chair, holding space for veterans, first responders, ER doctors, and individuals dealing with profound trauma. It is incredibly rewarding work, but it is also heavy.

By my early fifties, I became alarmed at how my body was responding to this sedentary, high-stress lifestyle. My muscles were deteriorating to the point where simply getting up from my therapy chair was difficult. I was struggling with obesity, high blood pressure, plantar fasciitis, pre-diabetes, and mobility issues. I felt much older than my actual age.

I was blaming my age for everything. But the truth was, I needed an intervention.

Enter Josh Martin: The Missing Piece of the Puzzle

Deciding to hire Josh Martin as my personal trainer was one of the smartest decisions I’ve ever made. I was so out of shape when we first started that I could not even do one single squat.

I was self-conscious and embarrassed. But Josh met me right where I was. He listened to my worries and kept reassuring me that I could do it. He turned out to be extremely knowledgeable about fitness and nutrition, and his continuing education makes him a vault of cutting-edge research, information, and ideas.

As a certified Functional Range Conditioning Mobility Specialist (FRCMS), his expertise in mobility and injury prevention is remarkable. Working with him transformed my range of motion and healed so many of the aches and pains that I had previously chalked up to “growing old.”

Much More Than Losing Weight

Fast forward two and a half years later, and the transformation has been staggering. I not only regained my mobility, but I lost 70 pounds, became consistent with my nutrition, and built a strong, capable body.

I was never an athlete. I wouldn’t have believed anyone who told me that at 55, I’d be kicking butt at squats and actually training for a weightlifting competition!

But here is the most important part, and the reason I am sharing this on a counseling blog: This healing journey didn’t just stop with my body. Working with Josh had a profound impact on my mental health.

The Science of Sweat and Sanity

As a therapist, I love a good peer-reviewed study. And the research backing up my personal experience is overwhelming.

A massive 2024 meta-analysis published in the British Medical Journal (reviewing 218 studies with over 14,000 participants) found that exercise is a highly effective treatment for depression. In fact, the researchers specifically highlighted that strength training, walking, and yoga were more effective than other exercises, and suggested they should be considered alongside psychotherapy and antidepressants as core treatments for depression.

A separate study published in JAMA Psychiatry confirmed that resistance exercise training is associated with a significant reduction in depressive symptoms – regardless of health status, age, or gender.

For me, working out at the end of every day became my primary tool for releasing the physical and emotional stress I absorbed in my clinical work. Research from Stanford’s Lifestyle Medicine program shows that regular exercise actually lowers baseline cortisol (the stress hormone) levels over time. For healthcare workers and therapists like me, physical activity is a significant predictor of lower burnout rates.

Furthermore, building physical strength helped me break the emotional eating cycle that had trapped me for years. When you feel strong and capable in your body, it shifts your entire psychological framework. You stop using food to numb the stress because you have a healthier, more effective outlet.

Breaking the Feast-or-Famine Cycle

If you’ve ever lived in that all-or-nothing pattern – where you’re either crushing your goals or completely falling apart – you know how exhausting it is. The shame of the “off” cycle feeds the binge, and the binge feeds the shame. It’s a loop that willpower alone cannot break.

What finally broke it for me was consistency over perfection. Having Josh in my corner meant I had accountability that didn’t come with judgment. Even on my worst days, I showed up. And showing up, even imperfectly, rewired something in my brain. The research supports this too: studies show that exercise helps regulate the emotional dysregulation that drives binge eating behaviors, and that having a structured support system (like a trainer) significantly improves long-term adherence to healthy habits.

I stopped waiting to “feel motivated” and started treating my workouts like therapy appointments – non-negotiable. And slowly, the feast-or-famine cycle lost its grip.

Eternally Grateful

I often express my gratitude to Josh for the monumental impact he had on my life. If you are in the area and looking for someone to help you on your fitness journey, I cannot recommend him highly enough. You can learn more about his approach at Martin Method Fitness. Everything feels easier and more enjoyable, and I’ve found a new normal where I can stay consistent with healthy eating and fitness, stay mobile, and stay strong regardless of the stresses in my personal and work life.

It turned out that a smart personal trainer, teaching me how it’s done and cheering me on every step of the way, was the missing piece of my puzzle all along.

If you are carrying a heavy load of stress, struggling with emotional eating, or feeling trapped in a body that hurts, I want to encourage you: it is never too late to start. You don’t have to do it perfectly, and you don’t have to do it alone. Sometimes, we all need someone in our corner telling us we can do one more rep.

Looking for a Personal Trainer?

If my story resonated with you and you’re looking for a personal trainer who truly understands how to work with people at any fitness level, I wholeheartedly recommend Josh Martin of Martin Method Fitness. His expertise in functional range conditioning, nutrition, and strength training changed my life – and he can do the same for you. Visit martinmethodfitness.com to learn more.

Life Solutions Counseling provides therapy for trauma, grief, and life transitions in Tigard, OR. If you’re looking for support on your mental health journey, reach out to us at lifesolutions.io.