Emotional outbursts while working out?

janessafantasma
janessafantasma Posts: 312 Member
in Motivation and Support
While during circuit training I had a spontaneous outburst of tears. I just started crying for no reason whatsoever. Has anyone else experienced that? Maybe it really is "fear leaving the body" as Jillian Michaels says. Ever since I've started working out and really focusing on my health, I've had an array of emotions that I never really felt. I deal with so many ups and downs over body image and I find myself scrutinizing so much more. I push myself harder, then, I give up, then I push myself harder again. I never realized that finally taking the journey to better health would be so overwhelming.

Replies

  • YoshiZelda
    YoshiZelda Posts: 340 Member
    I have - Usually they are good tears though. From being able to push the body to do things you could not before can be very overwhelming. Changing myself from what I used to be, was very emotional. Still is, Hang in there!
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    Yes, I have definitely spent quite a few runs in tears. Partly this is because I did a lot of running when my mum was dying, but even before that I found that exercise can make me emotional. I just accept it now, and if people give me strange looks because I'm running along with tears running down my face - well I can cope with that.

    Massages often have the same effect - maybe it's endorphins or something?
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    I'm like that sometimes with my trainer.. I get so damn frustrated with him sometimes, that I feel like crying. When I'm PMS-ing it's even worse.. and one time I did start crying.. my trainer just gave me this panicked look and quietly let me work it out.

    Losing weight/exercising is def. an emotional process.. so it's totally normal to feel a range of emotions while working.
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
    The closest I got to tears was a lot of wind or something in my eye at the park.
  • janessafantasma
    janessafantasma Posts: 312 Member
    It's amazing how many emotions it brings up. Its mostly fear and thoughts of failing. At least there is a couple other people out there and I'm not the only one :)
  • MermaidFaith
    MermaidFaith Posts: 495 Member
    yes this happens to me about 10-15 minutes in to my workout. And it has nothing to do with repressed emotions or something traumatic from my childhood. Nothing will be bothering me, i just suddenly feel very sad and cry for about a minute while still exercising and then it goes away.
  • MireyGal76
    MireyGal76 Posts: 7,334 Member
    I'm going through a pretty bad divorce right now, so I do find I burst into tears at the end of a particularly hard run or workout. There have been times where I finished my run, and then sobbed for half an hour in my car.

    I also cry after boxing sometimes when it's tough.

    Really, I find hurting my body through exercise helps me cope with the hurt I feel inside... It just sometimes leaks out, quite forcefully, through my eyes. :)
  • Kaedemoon267
    Kaedemoon267 Posts: 31
    Last week after a hard workout, I started crying saying 'you did it!' to myself over and over out loud. It was an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment. I definitely feel you on the emotions part.
  • janessafantasma
    janessafantasma Posts: 312 Member
    I'm going through a pretty bad divorce right now, so I do find I burst into tears at the end of a particularly hard run or workout. There have been times where I finished my run, and then sobbed for half an hour in my car.

    I also cry after boxing sometimes when it's tough.

    Really, I find hurting my body through exercise helps me cope with the hurt I feel inside... It just sometimes leaks out, quite forcefully, through my eyes. :)

    I'm so sorry to hear that, I hope everything works out. Hopefully working out will continue to be a good emotional release for you and help you to be able to work out those feelings.
  • janessafantasma
    janessafantasma Posts: 312 Member
    Last week after a hard workout, I started crying saying 'you did it!' to myself over and over out loud. It was an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment. I definitely feel you on the emotions part.

    That's so awesome! You should be SO proud of that.
  • pinkreena711
    pinkreena711 Posts: 41 Member
    yes it's happened to me a few times. i do think part of it is fear of finally loving the body or whatever. other times i felt really down after a workout for seemingly no reason.
  • poundsgalore
    poundsgalore Posts: 99 Member
    They say exercising is good for your mood and stress. Maybe it is releasing all of the anxieties you have (whether you realize they are bothering you) and that is where the rush of emotion comes from. Or if exercise can improve mood its not crazy to think it may have opposite effects on some people.
  • Pomoch325
    Pomoch325 Posts: 63 Member
    I have become tearful during running and stuff, mainly because I have a lot of "me" thinking time. I have had angry outbursts while watching Jillian Michaels, haha... that woman drives me nuts with her "motivation".
  • RichOC
    RichOC Posts: 243 Member
    I've been there... I think a big part of it for me was that the exhaustion I'd get from a tough workout would kind of beat down my natural defenses and whatever I was repressing at the time (whether it was a lost loved one, or, whatever) would find that crack and make a break for the surface.

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