Workouts make me want to cry

Does anyone ever feel like crying while working out? I admit this is my 2nd week in 2 fitness classes daily, and I am increasing my calorie burn gradually. But today, I really felt like crying -- and wondered if this is normal? I imagine I am working hard and maybe this is affecting my brain chemistry? What gives? After cool down I still feel like crying too. It is not every day, just started a bit yesterday but today I recognize a pattern starting.
«1

Replies

  • kgprice11
    kgprice11 Posts: 750 Member
    its an emotional state that some people reach after participating in a vigorous workout and it being the first time of working out again. You can do it just keep it up and have motivational support from people
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    Why 2 fitness classes daily? Seems like overkill especially if you feel like crying. There's no need to torture yourself. I see too many people coming blazing in at the start of a new fitness plan, over do it and then burn out and lose interest. If you like working out for hours...then have at it. But for overall general fitness it's not necessary.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    Exercise does effect brain chemistry, but it is supposed to relieve depression....
  • anneerick
    anneerick Posts: 147 Member
    I can't explain it..... I have no idea why.... but I get quite emotional when I work out. :cry:
  • doughnutwretch
    doughnutwretch Posts: 498 Member
    If you're feeling that way, your body is likely telling you you're doing too much, or may be telling you there is a deeper issue. Scale it back to once a day a few times a week and see how that does. If it continues, see your PCP about it.
  • stephanieb72
    stephanieb72 Posts: 390 Member
    I can't explain it..... I have no idea why.... but I get quite emotional when I work out. :cry:

    perhaps an overwhelming sense of accomplishment??
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    When you say "want to cry", are you actually feeling sad and depressed or are you feeling emotionally OK but just crying for no reason you can possibly fathom? Exercise releases some interesting things into the bloodstream as part of the "fight or flight" reaction, and some of those can get a little wonky, especially if you are fairly early on in your exercise.

    Your diary is closed, but one of your goals in your profile is to eat fewer than 1300 calories a day. What do your net calories (food eaten minus calories burned in exercise) look like on a given day? When I was dieting and not eating enough (or not properly) to support good workouts, I know they had a profound negative effect on my overall outlook on life and I got really emotional.

    How are you feeling when you are not exercising? Energetic or tired? Sleeping well or not?

    There are also just times when I'm dealing with tough issues and exercise gives me too much time to think about them. It's not always the wind in my face that causes me to have to wipe my eyes when I'm on the bike riding to or from work. But it's very therapeutic at the same time, because any anger can be taken out on the pedals and I just get to my destination a little quicker.
  • sandi117
    sandi117 Posts: 445 Member
    I think your body is trying to tell you that you're doing too much, too fast. Scale back to maybe one class a few times a week first, and then slowly work towards more. Don't overwhelm yourself.
  • opuntia
    opuntia Posts: 860 Member
    I suppose possibly you could have some underlying sadness that you haven't dealt with yet, and somehow the exercise is bringing it to the surface.
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
    TWO classes a day and you just started??? Add the eating less than 1300 cals a day, and I can only wish you luck....:noway: How long are you planning to keep this up?
  • Maybe your working out so hard that your eyes sweat ???
  • YES!!! I do feel this way I have been athletic my whole life until I had a 2 year bout of weight gain from child baring and thyroid hassels. --- in soccer as a child I would get emotional and today as an adult in a kickboxing and zumba class i get emotional.... I am sure that the surge of hormones has something to do with it but i have a list of reasons i have found so far that have made me cry for this that or the other while exercising

    1. it was to hard but I pushed through
    2. i got a side cramp drank my water to fast
    3. i completed 75 side to sides with my feet off the ground!! big deal for me!
    4. i had a bad day and danced my anger out in class and realized all I really needed was a good cry
    5. i was watching extreme makeover weight loss edition on my phone while on the elliptical got a little happy tear.
    6. answered my phone while jogging to my dad telling me " we have to put our dog down"
    7. ran a faster mile.
    8. when i finished my 1st, 2nd, 3rd......16th 5K!
    9. a thought of "oh darn i'm losing all this weight but who is gonna buy new new clothes"
    10. in boxing/cage fighting class we were told to work off emotion which as you can see is not a problem (my punching bag turned in to my rapist)
    11. the 78 year old man at the gym told me I was beautiful. ;)
    12. i increased weights by 15 pounds and the excitement of completing my reps made me proud so i cried.
    13. my 4 year ran he first mile with me, so i cried.

    so i am either a wreck or just filled with emotion. --- i didn't cry every time sometimes it was a thought LOL
  • bluechip777
    bluechip777 Posts: 160 Member
    Maybe your working out so hard that your eyes sweat ???

    lol. i often look like i'm crying---makes my eyes watery.
  • xSCiNTILLATEx79
    xSCiNTILLATEx79 Posts: 245 Member
    I teared up today the last 10 minutes of my workout (66min) it was the toughest part and I pushed myself to get through it. I got the crying sensation, eyes got teary. If thats what you mean? I actually think its a good thing. It was a good feeling I know that. Not sure why it happens, probably the same reason if your working out really hard sometimes you get a a euphoric feeling, tingly what not ( at least I do if Im working really hard), I get goose bumps sometimes and I usually feel really happy. It could also have to do with during my workout, Bob Harper said he was going to make me cry, so maybe I was just trying to follow the workout :bigsmile:

    edit: and you should probably be eating more calories you need to fuel those workouts
  • bluechip777
    bluechip777 Posts: 160 Member


    1. it was to hard but I pushed through
    2. i got a side cramp drank my water to fast
    3. i completed 75 side to sides with my feet off the ground!! big deal for me!
    4. i had a bad day and danced my anger out in class and realized all I really needed was a good cry
    5. i was watching extreme makeover weight loss edition on my phone while on the elliptical got a little happy tear.
    6. answered my phone while jogging to my dad telling me " we have to put our dog down"
    7. ran a faster mile.
    8. when i finished my 1st, 2nd, 3rd......16th 5K!
    9. a thought of "oh darn i'm losing all this weight but who is gonna buy new new clothes"
    10. in boxing/cage fighting class we were told to work off emotion which as you can see is not a problem (my punching bag turned in to my rapist)
    11. the 78 year old man at the gym told me I was beautiful. ;)
    12. i increased weights by 15 pounds and the excitement of completing my reps made me proud so i cried.
    13. my 4 year ran he first mile with me, so i cried.

    so i am either a wreck or just filled with emotion. --- i didn't cry every time sometimes it was a thought LOL

    thanks for posting this now i'm actually feeling teary being reminded about when i too would tear up.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    If you are burning a lot of fat quickly (and it sounds like you could be with that much working out), it could be releasing hormones that are stored in your fat. The hormonal imbalance could be causing it.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    If you are burning a lot of fat quickly (and it sounds like you could be with that much working out), it could be releasing hormones that are stored in your fat. The hormonal imbalance could be causing it.

    :noway:
  • silver_arrow3
    silver_arrow3 Posts: 1,373 Member
    Is it just a wave of emotion that you feel? I have found that I sincerely enjoy going to the gym on nights where there is a class I want to attend. For instance, Monday nights my gym has Dance Jam. They go through a new routine every month and it's absolutely fabulous. I feel the same way about Kickboxing. I absolutely love it!
  • BeautyisBeingU
    BeautyisBeingU Posts: 88 Member
    Moved to tears: Workouts and waterworks
    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21073097/

    But sometimes exercise may release a surprising slew of pent-up emotions, according to fitness instructors and psychotherapists who have seen or heard about clients crying during yoga, Pilates or other body-mind classes.

    "We use our bodies to physically tense up against pain or negative experiences," says Karol Ward, a therapist in private practice in New York City.


    Exercise might make you cry (in a good way)
    http://www.thatsfit.com/2007/10/02/exercise-might-make-you-cry-in-a-good-way/
  • soehlerking
    soehlerking Posts: 589 Member
    It doesn't sound like this is your issue if you're taking a class, but I get really emotional during my workouts because it's first thing in the morning (5:30am) and I'm watching the news, so I'm hearing about all the murders and assaults that happened the night before. And then the insurance commercials come on, telling me that I'm going to lose everyone I love if I don't spend $50/month RIGHT NOW...anyway. That's my issue.