Oops.
Exercising is a great way to stay fit, be healthy and de-stress. Most of us think going for a run while angry is a good way to channel the anger into energy, but a study has found that it is actually a very bad idea.
But new research published in the Heart Association journal Circulation suggests that although working out when you’re in a bad mood can be good for your mental health, it’s not great for your physical health.
The study looked at 12,461 heart attack patients, they found that around one in seven people had been angry or upset, or reported physical exertion in the hour leading up to the heart attack. Interestingly it found that people were three times more likely to have a heart attack if they’d been feeling mad and participated in strenuous activity within the 60-minute bracket.
It makes sense if you think about the fact that exercise raises your blood pressure and does being angry or stressed out, so doing the two of them together is a lot.
It is important to note that the patients were all male, and in their 50’s so statistically they are more likely to have heart attacks although the added strain of exercise and high emotions at the same time did not help.
So while it’s good to blow off some steam in the gym, if you’re highly stressed or angry, maybe lie down instead!
