Brain, stress, psyche and addictions
1. Does strength training affect brain function?
Yes – very intensely.
Strength training stimulates the production of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), which supports memory, concentration, neuroplasticity and learning ability.
Activated muscles send signals to the brain that improve its function and mental resilience.
2. How do muscles affect stress resistance?
Muscles act as a biological stress fuse.
Strength training lowers cortisol levels, activates the parasympathetic nervous system, improves sleep quality, and calms areas responsible for anxiety.
This is the simplest biological form of stress counteraction.
3. Do children and adolescents cope better with emotions when they exercise?
Yes – children who build muscle strength have fewer tantrums, cope better with change and frustration, and are more emotionally resilient.
This is a key element of emotional development.
4. Does a weak body negatively affect the psyche?
Yes – lack of muscle strength increases anxiety, lowers self-esteem, and worsens sleep and concentration.
Lack of strength is not just a physical problem – it is a weakening of the entire nervous system.
5. Why does a strong body give a strong mind?
Strong muscles stabilize the nervous system, accelerate the processing of stimuli and increase resistance to overload.
When a child or adult feels they can lift or overcome an effort, it translates into a sense of value and agency.
6. Can strength training help treat depression?
Yes – the effectiveness of strength training is confirmed by clinical studies.
Exercise increases serotonin and dopamine levels, regulates biological rhythms and strengthens the sense of control.
It is a natural antidepressant with no side effects.
7. How does strength training affect attention and cognitive abilities?
Research shows that children who regularly exercise perform better on cognitive tests.
This is the result of better blood supply to the brain, reduced tension and increased activity of the prefrontal cortex.
8. Does strength training change brain chemistry?
This is a profound neurochemical reorganization – not just the momentary effect of a good mood.
9. How does lack of training affect mental health?
Lack of exercise weakens resistance to stress, increases impulsivity and susceptibility to addiction, disrupts sleep and causes chronic fatigue.
It is biological destruction – visible first in emotions, then in bodily health.
10. Does strength training affect a child's mental resilience?
Yes – regular training improves sleep, emotional stability and a sense of empowerment.
It changes the biochemistry of the brain: regulates cortisol, increases dopamine and serotonin, improving resistance to stress.
11. Can strength training prevent depression in children and adolescents?
Yes, research confirms it. Exercise increases BDNF, improves sleep, reduces inflammation in the brain, and strengthens brain-muscle communication.
This is a natural prevention of depression, more effective than preventive talks alone.
12. Why do children use psychoactive substances?
Because they seek relief, control, or stimulation when their nervous system cannot cope with stress and meaninglessness.
Without a strong body, a child will look for stimulation elsewhere: in their phone, food, alcohol or drugs.
It is a reaction to biological and psychological weakness.
13. Can the Strength and Health Lesson be a form of addiction prevention?
Yes – a child who knows his or her body, understands stress and is able to relieve it, is less likely to look for a chemical alternative.
The Strength and Health lesson roots you in the real world and builds biological and mental resilience.
14. Can you replace dopamine from your phone with dopamine from your muscles?
Yes – strength training stimulates natural dopamine, which has long-term effects, improves concentration and is not addictive.
It's a healthy satisfaction – unlike the quick shots from screens or substances.
15. Does a strong body give a child a sense of psychological security?
Yes – because the body becomes a stable point of reference.
The child feels that he or she can get up, stretch, and endure fatigue – which strengthens identity and a sense of agency.
16. Can weak muscles lead to addiction?
No – directly, but a lack of strength means worse stress management, poorer sleep and greater susceptibility to quick relief.
It is the lack of strength that facilitates the development of addictions.
17. Can school be a place for addiction prevention through training?
Yes – provided the education model changes.
A school that only warns against drugs does not work.
A school that teaches how to build strength and resilience provides real tools for protection.
The Lesson of Strength and Health is practical biological and mental prevention.
18. Can strength training be compared to therapy?
Yes – in many cases, training is therapeutic.