Swearing During Workouts Might Actually Boost Your Gym Performance, Study Finds

Friday, December 19, 2025

If you’ve ever let out a swear word during a tough workout, science says you might be helping yourself more than you realize. A new study suggests that shouting a favorite curse word during intense exercise can actually improve physical performance.

The research, published in the journal American Psychologist, found that swearing during demanding physical tasks helps people push harder by lowering their inhibitions and mental barriers. In simple terms, it helps you stop holding back.

The study was conducted by psychologists Richard Stephens, Harry Dowber, and Christopher Richardson from Keele University in the UK, along with Nicholas B. Washmuth from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Together, they ran two experiments to test whether swearing could give people a real physical edge.

In the first experiment, volunteers were asked to support their body weight using only their hands on a chair seat, similar to holding a plank. Each participant chose one swear word and one neutral word. During different trials, they repeated either the swear word or the neutral word every two seconds while holding themselves up.

The results were clear. When participants repeated the swear word, they managed to hold the position for longer compared to when they used the neutral word.

Researchers believe swearing works because it reduces self-consciousness and social hesitation. Saying a taboo word seems to free people mentally, making them less likely to quit early and more willing to push through discomfort.

In a second experiment involving 94 new participants, researchers looked at something called “bystander apathy.” Many people worry about being judged at the gym, even though others are usually focused on their own workouts. When participants felt less concerned about how they looked, swearing had an even stronger effect on performance.

Across both experiments, swearing was linked to longer endurance and a greater ability to push past the point where people would normally give up. Researchers say strong language may help create a focused “flow” state, allowing individuals to perform better under pressure.

So the next time you’re struggling through a brutal plank, heavy lift, or final sprint, that swear word slipping out might not just be frustration. It could actually be giving you a small but real boost.