Prevent Angry Moods by Working Out First

Any chance you have been angry lately (politics, anyone?!)? If you have, a study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise_® suggests that getting in a workout before you head into a contentious conversation could reduce the chance that you’ll end up in an angry mood afterward. How was the study conducted and what do the results suggest? Before and after moderately-intense cycling, easily-angered men were shown pictures that evoked a variety of emotions, including happiness, fear and anger - all while brain waves were recorded. The session of picture-viewing produced the relevant emotions in the men and also generated an angry mood prior to exercise or quiet rest. When the pictures were shown again after exercise, the men did not develop an angry mood. Moreover, their angry mood was reduced below levels typically seen in the general population, demonstrating that exercise can be used to prevent the future development of an angry mood. So, the next time you know you’re headed into a potentially anger-inducing situation, get a good sweat in first. View the abstract or contact the investigator.