Anger is a normal, healthy human emotion, but uncontrolled anger can take toll on your health and your relationships. Exercise has many health benefits for the human body, including the ability to reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. It makes sense that it could have a positive effect on reducing anger too. 

A study on exercise and anger

A study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise points out the lack of research on the links between exercise and anger. The goal of this study was to understand the effects of acute exercise on angry emotions and angry mood. 

The University of Georgia study began by screening students to select 16 of them who were easily angered. Researchers showed a series of “emotionally evocative” pictures to participants before and after a 30-minute moderate to vigorous bike ride. They assessed anger levels with questionnaires and measured brain activity with EEG electrodes. 

While viewing the pictures, including one of soldiers firing at children, EEGs were used to measure anger. Before and after the sessions, participants completed questionnaires to check if the experience had put them in a bad mood, and whether it was affected by exercise or not. 

The results of the research showed that after a bike ride, the men felt less angry, and the post-exercise viewing session was less likely to put them in an angry mood. Some of the findings were inconsistent and the researchers concluded that more studies are needed to determine the effects of exercise on anger. 

Recognise your triggers

Anger is a normal response to an attack or a threat and an evolutionary mechanism that helped us to survive. But anger can get out of hand. Some people become inappropriately aroused, seeing threats where there are none, and they need to find ways to understand the signals that trigger their responses and find ways to control their anger. 

Everyone gets angry for different reasons. Sometimes the same reasons cause your anger over and over again. It’s worth thinking about what makes you angry and whether you are able to avoid these issues. 

Brent Morrison, a social media marketer who offers thesis help and help with essays, found that driving in early morning traffic triggered his anger. When he decided to take public transport instead, he found he arrived at work calm instead of angry. 

There are also people who are more likely to experience anger than others and those under extreme stress often have difficulty controlling their anger. 

Anger can manifest in various ways. Some people express their anger by clamming up in a passive, aggressive way. Sarcasm and hostility are other manifestations of anger. Aggression is when anger becomes so extreme that it is manifested physically. 

Exercise for anger management

Regular exercise reduces stress which could do a lot to keep your anger from building up. Perhaps it is difficult to believe that something as normal as exercise could really have an effect on something as toxic as uncontrolled anger.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly used to treat mood disorders. They boost serotonin levels in the brain and decrease aggressive behavior. Animal studies suggest that exercise increases serotonin levels in the brain. 

If you feel yourself becoming angry, a quick way to manage it is to go for a bike ride, a run, or a brisk walk. It will provide good stress release because you’re utilizing the adrenalin released by your sympathetic nervous system. 

If you know you’re going into a situation that’s likely to make you angry, going for a run first could be a good idea. It could work off some excess energy and prepare you mentally. 

Anger can make a workout feel good and help to dissolve negative feelings, but if you find your anger persists, you may have to dig deeper and find ways other than exercise to help you manage it. 

Other ways to manage your anger 

Learning to control anger can be a challenge. If your anger is uncontrolled, it may cause you to do things you regret and even hurt those around you. This is why it is important to learn ways in which to control it.

Think before you speak: It’s very easy to say something you’ll regret later in the heat of anger. Take a moment to gather your thoughts before speaking. 

Practice relaxation skills: Do whatever you can to encourage yourself to relax, whether this is listening to music, meditating, doing deep-breathing exercises or repeating a calming word or phrase 

Use humor instead of sarcasm: Humor can release tension and diffuse a situation whereas sarcasm can make it worse. 

Learn not to hold grudges: If you can forgive someone who makes you angry, you can strengthen your relationship. Holding on to anger can result in bitterness which can hurt you more than a person making you angry. 

Identify solutions: If you keep getting mad because your partner is late for dinner every night, make dinner later or agree that you’ll eat on your own when he’s late. 

Conclusion

We should not lose touch with the positive role anger can play and the energy it provides. Anger can be healthy, particularly if you wait till you feel calm and express your feelings clearly and directly in a non-confrontational way without hurting others or trying to control them. However, addressing uncontrolled, destructive anger is essential and exercise may play a role in this. 

About The Author

Justin Osborne is a writer at edubirdie and online assignment help, he loves to share his thoughts and opinions about education, writing and blogging with other people on different blogs and forums. Currently, he is working as a content marketer at best essay help and top paper writing services reviews.