How to tailor exercise to your emotions: The best workouts for stress, anger and anxiety

Matching movement to your mood can make the workout more impactful

By Nancy Best, 14th May 2025 How to tailor exercise to your emotions: The best workouts for stress, anger and anxiety

Whatever your experience with fitness and finding a regular rhythm of movement, you probably don’t regularly tailor what’s on the schedule to a specific mood. We’re all very used to programmes that focus on aesthetics or a particular performance-related goal. Often, we’re all on autopilot: Monday is cardio, Tuesday is strength, Wednesday is active recovery... rinse and repeat, ad infinitum.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this and it can really drive consistency when life is busy. Studies show that exercise of any nature promotes connections in the prefrontal cortex of your brain, which is critical for emotional regulation.

But taking a more tailored approach to the type of exercise we’re doing when a particular emotion is front and centre can deepen the workout's impact. It's a consideration that's especially pertinent during Mental Health Awareness Week (Mon 12-Sun 18 May), when we remember that we reap benefits for our minds as well as our bodies through movement.

The best exercise to do when you’re anxious

Quickened heart rate, shortness of breath and an upset stomach are all common symptoms of anxiety. Exercise that involves diaphragmatic breathing can positively impact the central nervous system, particularly the parasympathetic nervous system, sending our body signals to relax and release tension.

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