How to Help Your &%$#ing Workout

Today I was working with one of my clients doing bench step-ups; these are not easy and when she lost her balance she let out a word not used in polite company. She was mortified–I think because not only am I a personal trainer, but I’m also a rabbi. She apologized, and I let her know it was OK. In fact there is a study that shows that swearing may actually help your workout.

Research from Keele University in England and Long Island University in Brooklyn shows that swearing can help us push through a difficult workout. It has also been shown to have an analgesic effect; letting out a curse word when we stub a toe or bang an elbow can actually decrease our sense of pain. The study shows that swearing can increase our endurance and strength. The final analysis: dropping the f-bomb can help to manage pain–whether sudden and unexpected or the anticipated pain of a difficult workout.

The research showed that this does not work with everyone in all situations. People who have a tendency to catastrophize (to expect the worst), did not find relief from swearing. It also seems to have a lesser effect on women than men. To read more on this, see the article from http://www.cnn.com that was quoted and re-reported across the globe: https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/30/health/swearing-good-for-you-wellness/index.html .

My thoughts are that this is interesting, but I wonder if swearing under your breath would be just as effective. Can we say “freakin'” instead of *you-know-what* and still get the same result? Gyms already have enough coarse language and grunting and groaning; is swearing (which may contribute to further breakdown of civility in our society) worth it for the extra rep or the slightly faster sprint? In my humble opinion, the respect that I pay to my fellow gym-goers dictates that I should try to avoid swearing as much as I can. It’s just not nice. Unless, of course, I drop a 25 pound dumbbell on my foot…in which case all bets are off.