What Is Emotional Fitness? Traits To Know & Exercises To Try

Yoga, walking, running, boxing, swimming, Pilates, strength training—whatever type of fitness you fancy, you’re probably well-aware that exercise is an integral piece of your overall well-being puzzle. Now, what if we took that same proactive approach, and applied it to our mental well-being?

That’s exactly the question that prompted Alexa Meyer and Emily Anhalt, PsyD, to co-found Coa, the world’s first gym for mental health. “When people think of mental health, it’s focused on the idea of ‘what’s wrong with you, and how can we fix it,” Anhalt tells mbg. “We wanted to know what it looks like when you’re working on these things before there’s an issue? What’s an emotional pushup? What’s an emotional plank?”

Seeking some answers, Anhalt conducted a research project where she interviewed 100 psychologists and entrepreneurs. She asked them what proactive emotional health and fitness looks and feels like to them, then found common themes in the input. The result: seven specific categories, coined the “traits of emotion fitness”—which are now integral to Coa curriculum and classes.

Consider these traits the key muscle groups to work on strengthening, as you integrate more proactive mental fitness into your routine.