Bad moods happen to everyone for a number of different reasons.
Sometimes you're sleep-deprived, sometimes you're stressed out and other times someone just does something that really, really pisses you off.
Whether you're angry, sad or anxious, a bad mood is pretty hard to shake. Luckily, there's one really great way to do it that will benefit your mood and, as an added bonus, burn calories: exercise.
As clinical psychologist Jasper Smits tells Self,
In the short term, [exercise] can elevate mood when you’re feeling down. Long term, it can knock out milder forms of clinical depression.
Sometimes, though, it's hard to know what kinds of workouts you should actually be doing to boost your brand of bad mood.
So we consulted trainers Cristina Peerenboom and Kirsten Potenza, founders of POUND and POUND Rockout Results, and personal trainer Phil Dolence to get a little more information. Here's what we learned.
If you're angry, go hard.
Here's a great way to channel your anger and burn tons of calories at the same time: Go for a really, really hard workout.
We're talking boxing, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and serious weight-lifting.
Peerenboom and Potenza tell Elite Daily,
Channel your anger into a badass burn session. You'll be able to hit harder, jump higher and sweat longer than when you're in a peaceful state of mind. Boxing, HIIT and POUND are ideal for when you're feeling hot with rage and in the mood to beat some... sticks.
Dolence recommends "old-school" body building -- think three sets of 10 single-joint movements, such as bicep curls, side raises and tricep extensions.
He explains,
You can really focus and channel that anger with these simple exercises on the muscle being contracted. When you’re angry, it’s hard to focus on a lot of things. With each single-joint exercise you can focus on one muscle at a time.
Who's ready for a serious boxing sesh?
If you're sad, group fitness is your best bet.
When you have the blues, being around other people can help lift your spirits, even if they're strangers.
Peerenboom and Potenza explain group workouts provide powerful endogenous opioids, otherwise known as endorphins, to help snap you out of your funk.
They tell Elite Daily,
Sometimes, a little melancholy can be cured by the power of a group setting or community. Co-ed sports, group dance classes or even hiking with girlfriends will connect you with your peers, help distract you from feeling alone and will take you out of your head.
Time to sign up for Zumba.
If you're anxious, go to barre.
You've probably heard about the toning power of barre.
As it turns out, it can also help bust anxiety, along with classes like yoga and pilates.
Peerenboom and Potenza tell Elite Daily,
[These workouts] combine quality coaching, meditation and positivity to combat negative thoughts while gently treating your body to a thorough workout. You'll walk away feeling inspired, calm and perhaps a bit sore (in a good way!).
If these kinds of workouts aren't really your thing, another great option is circuit training.
Dolence suggests,
Choose anywhere between six and eight exercises that work your whole body. You can combine resistance and cardio. For example, after a few exercises with the weights, throw in either a 30-second sprint on the treadmill or one minute on the rowing machine, then go back to weights. The cyclical nature of it is soothing.
Are you in a better mood already just thinking about all the happiness-boosting workouts in your future? We thought so.
