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Exercise is a well established way to improve mental health. But can it help heal a heartbreak?
In general, working out can improve our moods by distracting us and encouraging social interaction and self-efficacy, according to the National Institutes of Health.
As for which emotion warrants which exercise, we turned to Peloton’s Cody Rigsby.
The TikTok-beloved cycling instructor aims to bring his whole self to his rides, and sometimes that means talking about why Britney Spears is the greatest pop singer of all times instead of pedaling.
In his classes, “90%” of his hilarious and often viral rants are off the cuff, he says. (You can listen to his explanation for why people who wear flip-flops in metropolitan cities don’t love themselves here).
“I have not been able to shut up since 5th grade,” he says.
But in his new memoir “XOXO, Cody,” the Peloton instructor gets vulnerable, discussing his experiences surrounding addiction, poverty and homelessness.
“I really got to sit down and write stories that I haven’t told before or go deeper into stories that I have told,” he tells TODAY.com.
In the process of writing it all down, he also had to slow down and figure out not only how he feels, but what he wants to say about it. In the process, he learned how to take more time to celebrate his own success.
“Sometimes I feel like life is so chaotic that I forget to give myself a little bit of self love,” he says.
For anyone hoping to use exercise as their form of self-care, here’s what Rigsby recommends based on your current mood.
Angry
Someone interrupted you at work. You missed the train by half a second. Another driver cut you off in traffic. Whatever the reason, if you find yourself seething with rage, Rigsby recommends pumping some iron.
“Grab those weights,” Rigsby advises.
“Make a grunting noise as you make a bicep curl, OK?” he…
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