This article is part of All the Rage, an editorial package that digs into the science of anger.
SELF will be publishing new articles for this series all week.Read more here.
Weve all done it.
Jordan Moss
Feels amazing, right?
And a challenging workout never fails to cool my white-hot temper.
Do it the right way, though, and you’re free to reap some serious mood-boosting rewards.
Why do rage workouts feel amazing?
We have biology to thank for making us feel so strong during our rage-fueled workouts.
Thats to be expected, given the fact your physiology is offering your body a natural boost.
Anger can feel like pent-up energy that needs a release.
Often, exercise can provide that release by expanding our lungs, distracting our minds, she says.
Exercise can be an excellent anger management technique as long as you dont go overboard.
As for which kind of class?
Theres no one best workout modality for when youre furious.
What would actually satisfy me right now?
is the first question to ask yourself when youre raging and ready for a workout, Roth-Goldberg says.
The second question is, Roth-Goldberg says, What will be easy for me to get to?
This is more of a practical one, but its actually really important.
You want something thats quick and accessible, both physically and mentally.
This is important, especially since your primed-to-go body is going to be telling you otherwise.
Doing a warm-up is going to be hard when youre fired up, Roth-Goldberg says.
But you still need one.
This can help prevent injury and improve your performance.
Theres guaranteed to be two to five minutes worth of warm-up time built into the workout.
Although your fight-or-flight response might make you feel like the Incredible Hulk, youre still only human.
Plus, the very act of checking in can help you calm down.
That means asking yourself how your body is handling the pace or the effort and backing off if necessary.
Otherwise, exercise can be harmful instead of helpful, Roth-Goldberg says.
With a cool-down, your goal is to bring your body back to baseline.
If you give yourself this space, you may find that some earlier thoughts were filled with flawed logic.
I dont actually believe that.
I dont feel that way anymore.
In fact, its super healthy to acknowledge your anger in the first place.
Oftentimes, people are afraid of anger and attempt to avoid it.
However, its important to recognize that working out your anger isnt the only way to deal with it.
Exercise cannot be the only way in which emotions are processed, Roth-Goldberg says.
Have a toolbox of other things that are helpful when you might not have access to exercise.
Just double-check you follow thesetips for talking it through effectively and fairly.
