How Exercise Can Help
You Process Emotions

Emotions are dynamic—they’re meant to move. When we dissociate or try to restrict our feelings this emotional energy can stagnate and accumulate in our bodies, leading to physical tension which can result in more chronic issues. Luckily exercise is a powerful tool to process emotions and help us (literally) move through our feelings.

The Mind-Body Connection

The mind and body are intertwined, constantly influencing one another. As such, emotions aren’t just abstract concepts: they leave a physical imprint on the body yet have clear physiological and biological components. 

Ongoing research shows that unresolved emotions or trauma can become stored in your unconscious and affect your body in various ways, from postural changes to overall health issues and chronic ailments. Intentional movement offers a way to harness this mind-body connection and explore your emotions from a more embodied perspective.

It is important to note that this somatic approach is not about ignoring or avoiding what you’re feeling. Instead, the idea is to create space for your emotions to move by forming a container within your body that feels safe and strong enough to feel your feelings. 

Why Moving Your Body Moves Your Mind

Exercise is a great technique for processing emotions because it engages and activates both your body and brain. On a neurological level, when you work out your brain releases feel-good chemicals like endorphins (natural painkillers), serotonin (mood-enhancers) and dopamine (for a sense of reward), while reducing cortisol levels to help you feel calmer and more in control.

Exercise also improves blood flow to the brain which enhances cognitive function, allowing you to think more clearly and gain different perspectives. There are a multitude of neurological benefits that make exercise a unique tool for processing overwhelming emotions with a clearer mindset.

Matching Movement to Mood

The overarching idea of using movement to address your emotional state is that physical activity isn’t just an outlet for emotions but that it helps you to work through them. You can enhance this effect by choosing an exercise that aligns with your emotional state. 

To do this, start by becoming aware of what you’re feeling and where you feel it in the body. From there you can choose a movement that seems to be a good match for what you’re experiencing in the moment. Here are some ideas on how to tailor your movements to emotions:

• For Anger or Frustration: high-intensity workouts like boxing, sprinting, or weightlifting could release pent-up energy and help you regain inner strength and centeredness.
• For Sadness or Fatigue: gentle practices like yoga or tai chi may help you slow down without succumbing to lethargy, creating space to process heavier emotions in a way that feels safe for your system
• For Anxiety or Restlessness: repetitive, rhythmic movements like cycling or swimming may help ground and calm you.
• For Overwhelm: nature walks, deep stretching or simple balance poses can reconnect you with the present moment and soothe your nervous system.

Why Physical Activity is Different from Avoidance

At first glance, exercise could seem like a way to run away from difficult emotions. And it’s true ─ like everything in life, including scrolling on your phone or zoning out with TV series, exercise can be a form of distraction. However, when approached thoughtfully and intentionally, physical activity can become a way to engage with your feelings and more deeply understand your emotional shifts.

Here are some ways to make the distinction:

• Set an Intention: before jumping into the activity, try setting an intention to go deeper into what you’re currently experiencing. This can shift the focus away from avoiding feelings and towards addressing them.
• Tune Into Your Body: during your workout, rather than spacing out, try to zoom in and notice where you feel tension or bodily sensations. Are your shoulders tight? Is your breath shallow? Bringing awareness to these areas can help you start to discern the emotional roots of your physical discomfort, and vice versa, bringing the emotional rumination out of the mind and into the body.
• Reflect Afterwards: Once your session is complete, take a moment to observe any changes. You may find that emotions that felt overwhelming before now feel more manageable or perhaps you have some new insights on the situation.

Treating exercise with intentionality creates an opportunity to meet your feelings with compassion and move them through your system, rather than avoiding them. 

Creating an Emotional-Processing Plan

Building a routine that enables your emotional well-being doesn’t have to be complicated. You can try this simple framework to get started: 

• Check-In: take a moment to identify your current emotional state. Try naming the emotion to bring it into focus.
• Move with Intention: choose an exercise or workout that aligns with what you are feeling.
• Incorporate Mindfulness: while moving focus on your breath, the rhythm of your steps, or the sensations in your muscles. This keeps you anchored and helps deepen the experience. 
• Close With Reflection: Take a few minutes to journal or meditate after your workout to process any insights you may have had, or take note of shifts in your mood.

This type of somatic work isn’t about achieving perfection ─ it’s about creating an outlet that helps regulate both your emotional and physical well-being. The more you practise the more you’ll find that movement becomes a reliable and accessible tool for navigating life’s ups and downs.

Wrapping it Up: Practical Practise

So, let’s wrap it up with an everyday example of how to use exercise to help process your emotions. 

Imagine you’re feeling stressed after a long, tense day at work during which your boss got angry at you for missing a deadline. Your shoulders are tight, your mind is racing, and you can’t seem to relax. Here’s how exercise might help you process this emotional state:

• Start by Recognizing What You’re Feeling: “I feel overwhelmed and tense. My shoulders feel tight, and I’m clenching my jaw.”
• Then Choose an Activity: Maybe you opt for a brisk walk around the park or a gentle yoga flow.
• Stay Present While Moving: During the walk, you may notice that your breathing becomes slower and steadier, your chest is less tight, and your jaw loosens. With each step, you start to feel less “on edge.”
• Reflect Afterwards: After 20 minutes of walking, your shoulders have softened and the tension has decreased. Perhaps the exercise has even made some mental space which enables you to understand why this stress accumulates at work, and what your boss is triggering inside of you.