Powerlifting is a simple sport, the goal is to lift the heaviest weight in three different kinds of lifts; the squat, bench, and deadlift. If high schools were to implement this, people would undoubtedly try it out. The weight categories make it inclusive and fair, meaning guys and girls who are lighter can compete, and guys and girls who are heavier can compete. Unfortunately, many high schools do not get the opportunity to try this sport.
According to “An Epidemic of Obesity: US Obesity Trends” written by Harvard University, they found that nationwide two out of three adults are overweight or obese (69 percent) and one out of three is obese (36 percent). Not only is the obesity in America very high, testosterone levels in males are also very low. Combining these, results in a future of overweight, depressed, and low testosterone men.
Introducing powerlifting can help adolescents discover a passion where they could dedicate themselves to improving their lifestyle. Powerlifting could help adolescents care about their bodies and health. Powerlifting is a fun sport and at the same time it’s also much safer than other sports that are already in almost every high school, as it’s a non-contact sport. According to Harvard University, each year 40,000 high schoolers suffer from a concussion playing high school football.
Powerlifting would also be relatively easy to implement due to the fact that every single high school has a weight room with barbells, weights, and squat racks. The weight room is usually used for physical education classes as well as for football training, other athletes may use them as well. If a high school wanted to hold a powerlifting competition, all they would really need to do is move a few squat racks, barbells, and weights into the gym.
A coach or trainer would teach the basics to the students and would teach them how to be safe and get better at powerlifting. Powerlifting could also introduce adolescents into healthy lifestyles where they continue exercising as they get older, as they will have experience and will know how to be safe within a gym environment.
Powerlifting could also help battle depression in teens. Ivy Shih, a science writer from the University of New South Wales, found that one in four students have experienced symptoms of depression. When you work out, endorphins are released by your pituitary glands. Endorphins are chemicals in your brain and when they’re released, you feel exhilarated and happy and block any feelings of pain. Powerlifting also helps students feel accomplished and feel more confident. Therefore, powerlifting would directly combat depression in teens that decide to get involved.
When we build muscle from lifting weights, the muscles pull on your bones, and your bones must be strong enough to support the pressure from the muscle. To combat this, the body creates new, stronger bone so you can continue to get stronger and build more muscle. Weight training increases bone density which protects against osteoporosis which is a condition of weakened bone. The National Institute of Health estimates that 10 million Americans currently have osteoporosis.
Not only is powerlifting good for high schoolers because it makes them stronger, healthier, more confident, and happier, it can also help them get better sleep. According to Stanford Medicine, more than 87 percent of high school students get far less than the recommended eight to 10 hours of sleep each night. Powerlifting seems to be the perfect solution. According to a recent study in Preventive Medicine Reports, strength training can help improve your quality of sleep because strength training creates a molecule called adenosine, which tends to cause drowsiness.
People of all heights and weights and ages could be included, which can’t really be said about other sports. Powerlifting will be a perfect addition to high school sports, it provides students with new mental clarity, better sleep, more confidence, a foundation of hard work, a good base for future weightlifting, and a competitive sport.