A recent article in the New York Times reports that a study which evaluated the responses of 16 young men with “high trait anger” (short fuse reactions) after exercising on a stationary bike for 30 minutes.
[T]he results of the study suggest that “exercise, even a single bout of it, can have a robust prophylactic effect” against the buildup of anger, said Nathaniel Thom, a stress physiologist who was the study’s lead researcher.“It’s like taking aspirin to combat heart disease,” he said. “You reduce your risk.”
When the men did not exercise, they had considerable difficulty controlling their racing emotion. But after exercise, they handled what they saw with more aplomb. Their moods were under firmer control.
This will not be news to anyone who has ever been an exercise junkie, but astrologically we can connect this phenomenon with the planet Mars in the birthchart. This will be old hat to my clients and many of my readers and listeners who have heard me recommend vigorous exercise for anyone with what I call “Mars problems” in the natal chart.
Mars represents desire and the individual will – it describes how we go about getting what we want, and how we defend what we have. Anger occurs when our desires are thwarted, and if it is left to simmer for too long it erupts into rage. Unexpressed anger or rage, or what I call “unexpressed Mars,” can be associated with many chronic health problems.
I recommend exercise for people who have a stressed Mars in their chart because exercise helps to put us in touch with that fiery energy that lives in the solar plexus and masquerades as our will. When we’re pushing and pulling heavy things, or moving faster than we ordinarily would do, we have to reach into our Mars energy in order to fuel our activity, and this helps to activate the astrological Mars. Suddenly we feel empowered, excited – ready to break through blockages that hold us back. This is the role that Mars plays in our chart, and exercise helps a stressed Mars to find its full expression.
A stressed Mars is often shown in the chart as a Mars which is tightly aspected by Saturn, Chiron, Neptune or Pluto, or in the signs of Pisces, Cancer, or Libra.
Hey Lynn i think that above comment is from a spambot! But yah i totally agree and i am also always telling clients to go thrash it out at the gym – i think for people with strong Mars, martial arts (as in arts of Mars aka fighting) are great.
I have Mars-Pluto-Uranus in Virgo/the 8th House and i feel like crap if i don’t exercise hard every day…Yoga/Pilates is my “rest” day. When i was about 19 i used to walk fast about 10km every night.
I also think lifting weights is really good work to do with Saturn aspects/transits. Strengthens the bones & the very act of pumping iron is SO Saturn, yes?
There is a post on this someplace on my site under Astro Fitness – i think the commenters decided that yoga was neptunian and pilates uranian…Fascinating…
And Isak Dinesen – the Aries writer/out of africa said that salt water is the cure for everything: tears, sweat, the sea.
Probably so Mystic (spam) but his link doesn’t work anyway. :) Thanks for your comments – wow! Mars/Pluto/Uranus. And you’re right about Saturn and weights – I have Mars in Cap and LOVE lifting weights. Thanks for stopping by!