Positive Ways To Cope: Exercise

Exercise is also an option for positively coping with anger.  Although not always practical in the moment, if you find that you have tried the other tools and you are still angry, you can use exercise to help. It may help to go for a walk around the block or to do some other form of exercise. For me, whenever I get frustrated, the world certainly seems a lot better after a good, long run.

I should say a word here about punching bags. I have had many clients use punching bags to deal with their anger. There are pros and cons to this. using a punching bag can be a form of venting which really doesn’t help. For instance, if you are imagining your boss and punching like a madman, that’s not a great strategy. But as regular exercise using a punching bag can be great.

I once worked with a professional boxer. He used a punching bag every day and it helped him tremendously with his anger. He also recognized that he should not use it in the moment when he was really angry because there was a great chance of injury to himself. he also shared with our group that his favorite opponents to fight were guys who came to the gym angry.  They were out of control and wild, which made them easy to defeat.

There is a fine line with punching bags, so I would suggest caution. It would never be my first line of defense and I wouldn’t use one in my own home. But it may be a good tool for some. Just be careful how you use it.

Healthy, regular exercise is also one of the best ways to let out tension from your body. Exercise helps your blood to flow and get rid of some of the tension inside.

As a regular form of prevention, exercise is one of the best strategies for yo if you ant to learn to control your anger. Go for a run, take a walk, lift some weights, do some push ups or sit ups. Exercise can help you release the tension that is in your body, and can have some very positive results.

Exercise is often something we know we should do, but don’t. But if you have an anger problem that means that you have stress in your body, and one of the best ways to deal with it is to get some exercise.

Excerpt take from “Take Control of Your Anger: A Step-by-Step Guide to Anger Management by Michael Ballard, MA, NCC, LPC