Cursing May Help Get You Through That Tough Workout

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN (CNN) — Want to push through that workout? Go ahead and drop an F-bomb. Studies show people on bikes who swore while pedaling against resistance had more power and strength than people who used “neutral” words. Research also found that people who cursed while squeezing a hand vice were able to squeeze harder and longer. And swearing doesn’t just help your endurance: If you pinch your finger in the car door, you may well feel less pain if you say ‘s**t” instead of “shoot.” Another study found people who cursed as they plunged their hand into icy water felt less pain and were able to keep their hands in the water longer than those who said a neutral word. “The headline message is that swearing helps you cope with pain,” said psychologist Richard Stephens, the lead author of the three studies. Stephens researches swearing at the Psychobiology Research Laboratory at Keele University in Staffordshire, England. An analgesic response Stephens says it works like this: swearing produces a stress response that initiates the body’s ancient defensive reflex. A flush of adrenaline increases heart rate and breathing, prepping muscles for fight or flight. Simultaneously, there is another physiological reaction called an analgesic response, which makes the body more impervious to pain. “That would make evolutionary sense because you’re going to be a better fighter and better runner if y...
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Health News Offbeat CNN Source Type: news