All thoughts expressed here are based on the writer’s own experience as a subject in a research study. This article does not offer medical advice.
As a recent transfer student at VCU, I sought out means to comfortably migrate to this new, academic environment. Around the middle of summer, a few months after my relocation to Richmond, I decided to check out VCU’s newsletter, Telegram. I came across a research study looking for volunteers. Their goal was to measure oxidant levels in candidates with PTSD. I figured, why not?
For the first few weeks, my blood was taken and I performed breathing and vascular exercises. I enjoyed the two-hour sessions and learning more about the effects of my disorder. I was aware that the meetings would wrap up at the beginning of August and I would not follow up until 10 weeks later. By the end of my sessions, I was approached with the option to follow a 10-week strength training program. They wanted to measure the effects of exercise on symptom reduction in people with PTSD.
I had always been turned off by weightlifting. I had tried it a few times sporadically, but never really stuck with it. I assumed I wasn’t destined to be a gym rat. Given the new opportunity, I figured I had nothing to lose. It might be interesting to see if I can stick with this now that someone is holding me accountable.
My findings throughout the 10-week period were nothing short of interesting. Firstly, I found strong motivation in someone expecting me to show up. I never worked with a gym buddy before, and even though the sessions were led by research assistants, I felt a commitment to them and to the research. I found that staying consistent, especially in the first few weeks of this new habit, was crucial for me to succeed.
I grew a liking to the research assistants. They were kind, motivating and were great resources for my curiosity. These exercise science majors taught me an abundance of information, like the importance of breathing during lifting, the effects of food consumption prior to a workout, and many other tidbits that shaped my experience. I also found their presence to be empowering, encouraging me to push my body. I learned the importance of surrounding yourself with positive people in these endeavors.
A year prior, I took a yoga class at my community college. As a student then, I developed a new bodily awareness I never had before. I learned to recognize when my body was asking for something, as well as what it was asking for, such as rest. I grew to honor my body when it didn’t want to be pushed further. After my experience in weight training, I found that there is a certain balance to find between listening to your body’s calls and pushing yourself. My mindset played a crucial role in my training experience and part of this was becoming comfortable with exploring unknown territory, even when I was in slight discomfort.
I began to fall in love with my results. I hadn’t seen profound, visual results at that point, but the new mobility and function my body acquired was fascinating. I physically felt better than I had in a long time. It was rewarding to watch and feel my strength grow each time the weights moved up. I unlocked power I didn’t know my body had.
It’s hard to say what were the exact effects that the strength training had on my symptoms. What I do know is that I have never paid more attention to the function of my body, rather than the way it looks. I abandoned the motivation for vanity and adopted a new desire to feel strong and able-bodied. I believe trading a mindset of body positivity for body neutrality changed the game forever for me. I look back on my experience as a volunteer in this research fondly. I remember it as the catalyst for the improvement in my relationship with exercise.