How to deal with anger with exercise

What Happens to Body and Mind When You Are Angry

Anger is the fruit of the joint work of the amygdala, hippocampus, and central gray matter. These are the brain structures responsible for emotions.

Anger and fear are born in the same departments, but they are very different. When you're scared, you release adrenaline and cortisol, a stress hormone. And you are careful and run from danger. If a person is furious, adrenaline and testosterone levels rise, while cortisol, on the contrary, decreases. Therefore, you become aggressive and reckless, take risks and spoil relationships with people.

How exercise can help you cope with anger

30 minutes of intense exercise is enough to let go of the anger. Physical activity will not change your attitude towards the source of the problem, but you will begin to respond to it much more calmly, and in general you will feel better.

This effect of exercise can be attributed to the release of beta-endorphins. These neuropeptides are produced in the brain in response to pain or stress, bind to opioid receptors, have analgesic effects, and can cause euphoria.

In addition, exercise increases the synthesis of tryptophan, the amino acid from which serotonin is “made”. Exercising to fatigue increases plasma levels and lowers other amino acids, leucine, isoleucine, and valine (BCAAs), which prevent tryptophan from entering the brain. Due to this, it becomes more there, which means that the synthesis of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that ensures a good mood, also increases.

It relaxes you, gives you a sense of pleasure, and, among other things, reduces the manifestations of anger.

Moreover, training will help not only cope with emotions right now, but also better control yourself in the long term. Regular exercise promotes overall calmness, reduces anxiety, hostility and tension, and increases emotional stability.

Moreover, exercise increases the activity of the prefrontal cortex, which, among other things, helps to cope with emotions and to keep oneself in control.

How to practice to stop getting angry

In the long run, any workout that raises your heart rate to 30–70% of your maximum heart rate (HR) and lasts more than 30 minutes will work. This can be a quiet aerobic exercise: running, cycling, fitness, dancing.

If you need to get rid of your anger right now, there are several ways to do it faster.

Turn up the intensity

Heavy exercise, such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT), works well for immediate relief of anger. HIIT produces a lot more beta-endorphins than regular aerobic exercise, so you will feel calmer afterwards.

The plus is that a HIIT session can be arranged without leaving home, and in 10-15 minutes you can be exhausted in the way that you will not get tired after half an hour of quiet activity.

However, such training is not suitable for everyone. If you have problems with the cardiovascular system or a lot of excess weight, HIIT may be too difficult.

Be careful

When you are angry, concentration decreases, and the propensity to take risks, on the contrary, increases. Therefore, postpone exercises that require attention and caution: weightlifting, difficult gymnastics, work with large weights, extreme sports.

You can hurt yourself even by jumping on the box. Once, I got angry at the failed take on the chest and, while jumping on a high box, swung my arms so hard that I touched the edge and received a comminuted fracture of my little finger. Although after that the anger went away. Probably beta-endorphins for pain helped (don't take it as advice).

You shouldn't do contact sports: you can harm other people who are not to blame for your problems. If you choose martial arts, throw aggression on the bag.

Listen to the music

Energetic music during training improves mood, helps to cope with anger, depression and embarrassment. With music, exercise seems easier, and the pressure and breathing rate decrease compared to exercising in silence.

A vigorous beat even removes a little fatigue and tension and gives a feeling of strength.

I listen to music all the time while jogging and during high intensity workouts. Your favorite track makes you run faster, spin an air bike or perform burpees, even when your strength is running out.

Well, after a hard workout, you will remain in peace and tranquility, and no thought can shake this relaxed state: stimuli will simply stop worrying you. At least for a few hours.