I like to think I’m a cool guy, calm and chilled more than not. That may be ‘rubbish’ if you asked my family but I maintain the notion that I’m ‘chilli and calm’. But, I know I have anger for injustice and manipulation, deception and trickery, shirk (associating partners with Allah subhanu wa ta’ala) and all evil of the shayateen (Iblees and his party).
This, I believe, is how it should be. However, sometimes people have attitude and anger for the littlest thing. Dogs bark and Lions spray scent! But if you’re finding it hard to control your anger and it’s ‘getting on-top’ as it were, here are a couple of things you could do to channel your anger via physical activity.
Squats and Deadlifts (Gym Training) – You’ll feel the effort/work you’re doing through your whole body. Focus, breath and lift! Channel your anger into the bar, into the movements with good form. Take your time and get into the zone, you’ll soon feel calm (God willing).
Heavy Bag Training – Don’t go at anyone’s head, rather, try jogging on the spot while you hit the bag for 2/3 minutes before a 1-minute break, then back on, go for 3 to 5 rounds. You can progress from there, working on your combinations, just be courteous to the people around you because you share the space with them.
Running – Not as easy as it looks when you’ve been driving around for so long but the fresh air and watching the world go by as you rack up the miles gives you a great sense of achievement and will give you time to reflect and calm down. All you need is good trainers and the knowledge of how to get home plus you don’t need to wait for the gym’s to reopen post-Covid19…get running!
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ‘rolling’ is great self defence skill and system that will humble you and calm the storm inside due to the likelihood that you’ll get submitted time and again. Great for the heart and limbs, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a fun and rewarding way to keep cool.
Muay Thai
‘You like kicking people ha?’ Just go easy on your training partner, they came to chill or maybe get their anger out too; It could turn nasty if you don’t know when enough is enough. Great as a whole body workout and sure to take the anger away.
Swimming
A whole body workout including your heart. Swimming is a Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Great for sculpting your body and losing weight, this is a high recommendation for brothers that can find a pool with privacy. When you’re in the zone you will be too tired to be angry inshaAllah/God willing.
Archery – For the man that can seriously channel his energy and focus, get the target out. A recommendation of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) archery takes patience and practice. Walking between targets, picking up your bows, you’ll soon forget why you were angry and raise your mood as you get better inshaAllah.
As you can see, these are just a few of my top picks for turning negative energy into positive. As men, we will get angry from time to time be it due to family issues, work or our feelings toward the situation of our society and community but it’s important to find a focus in something of benefit, something that increases you in knowledge, wisdom and skill, rather than eating the anger away, smoking, drinking or engaging in illegal or destructive pursuits. It’s easy to say but when you find what you enjoy of exercise and physical activity your body will thank you in years to come and you’ll build bridges rather than break them.
Finally, taking a walk with your family and friends is the best of things you can do to quell the anger. Talk, share and don’t be alone.
Further reading:
Criterion Fitness & Nutrition 
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