Take a deep breath and count to ten. That’s the classic advice for dealing with a situation that makes you angry. But recently, some people have been resorting to a different tactic: rage workouts. Activities include slamming tires with a sledgehammer and pummeling a punching bag with your fists. 

Channeling your rage into an activity that helps you get fit seems like a win-win. But “rage workouts are not supported by science,” says Dr. Brad Bushman, a professor of communication at The Ohio State University whose research focuses on human aggression and violence. 

“Exercise has many well-known benefits for physical and mental health,” says Dr. Sophie L. Kjærvik, a postdoctoral fellow at the Norwegian Center for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies. “But if your goal is to cool down when you’re angry, vigorous exercise is not the best choice.” 

Exercise may fuel rage

In 2024, Kjærvik and Bushman published a review that pooled 154 studies with more than 10,000 participants. The review compared activities that calm the body down, such as deep breathing, meditation, and yoga, with activities that ramp it up, like jogging, cycling, or hitting a punching bag.

They found that calming activities reliably reduced anger and aggression, and this held true across genders, ages, and cultures. Activities that raise heart rate and alertness, by contrast, were overall ineffective at reducing anger—and in some cases appeared to make it worse.

That’s because the body responds very differently to each type of activity. When you’re angry, your body is in “fight-or-flight” mode. “Your heart rate goes up, your muscles tense, and adrenaline is released,” says Kjærvik. 

Intermediate Combo of The Day | Kickboxing Combo #boxing #fitness #fightcamp#kickboxing #workout

Kickboxing when you’re angry might keep your nervous system in fight or flight mode. Video: Intermediate Combo of The Day | Kickboxing Combo, @FightCamp

Activities such as deep breathing, mindfulness, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and slow-flow yoga “slow your heart rate, reduce tension, and help bring your body out of the fight-or-flight state that accompanies anger,” she explains. 

Conversely, “doing intense exercise can keep your body in that heightened state rather than helping it calm down.”

The type of exercise matters 

The picture that emerged from Kjærvik and Bushman’s review wasn’t completely black and white, however.  

“Interestingly, not all exercise had the same effect,” Kjærvik notes. “Ball sports seemed to help reduce anger, possibly because they are fun, social, and distracting. Jogging, meanwhile, was associated with higher levels of anger. This may be because jogging increases physical arousal while also providing an opportunity to keep thinking about whatever triggered the anger.”

An earlier study backs up the idea that the kind of workout matters. After making volunteers feel angry by giving them negative, unfair, and harsh feedback during four table tennis tasks, researchers asked some to do a rowing workout and others to do a martial-arts-style combat routine. 

Only the rowing group became less angry; people who did combat exercise stayed fired up. The researchers think that movements that look like fighting may keep aggressive feelings high, while non-fighting movements like rowing help those feelings calm down.

Don’t expect superhuman strength when you’re angry

Whenever the fictional scientist Bruce Banner lost his temper, he would turn into the incredibly strong (and incredibly green) Hulk. There’s a small kernel of truth in this pop culture trope, but don’t overestimate the boost to your athletic performance.

“Anger triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response, releasing adrenaline and making you feel more energized,” Kjærvik explains. “It can also reduce your perception of fatigue for a short time. However, this doesn’t mean that anger gives you ‘superhuman strength.’ Rather, it may help you push closer to your normal physical limit for a brief period.”  

Bottom line

“You should definitely exercise. It is good for your heart,” Bushman says. “But it is an ineffective means of managing anger. It will prolong or perhaps even increase angry feelings and aggressive impulses.” 

But the next time you reach boiling point, choose a calming activity like deep breathing or gentle yoga to regain your composure, and save the hard workout for when you’re less furious.

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