By Justine Rouch, Founder of La Pochette

I've always loved exercise. Not because of how it makes me look but because I always feel so much better afterwards.

However, a few months ago whilst on my Peloton at home, tears started streaming down my cheeks. I didn't feel sad at the time, but I definitely felt better after. It was strange. So I started researching why.

It turns out, I'm not alone. Fitness instructors see this constantly in spin studios, yoga classes, and gyms. There's genuine science behind why workouts make us cry and those tears might be one of the best signs that fitness is working for your whole self, not just your body.

The Science Behind Workout Tears

When you exercise, your brain releases serotonin, dopamine, endorphins, and endocannabinoids. These chemicals don't just create that temporary runner's high, they actively change how different parts of your brain communicate.

Research shows that exercise can affect the structure of the amygdala (your brains emotional processing centre) and functional connectivity (the correlation of activity between different brain regions over time).

When you're physically exhausted, activity in the prefrontal cortex is reduced and suppressed feelings can suddenly surface.

What is fascinating is that emotional tears actually contain stress hormones like cortisol. When you cry during a workout, you're literally expelling stress from your body.

Emotional tears also contain leucine enkephalin, a natural painkiller produced by your body, and higher levels of manganese, a mineral linked to mood regulation. When you cry, you're not just releasing emotions metaphorically, you're physically removing chemical byproducts of stress from your system.

Why Different Workouts Trigger Tears

Crying During Spin Class

Spin classes have become almost synonymous with unexpected crying. High intensity, dim lighting, pounding music and group energy create perfect conditions for letting go. Instructors often curate playlists to build emotional momentum. For many people who spend their day being "strong" and composed, that darkened studio is the only safe space to finally release what they're carrying. The physical intensity gives you permission to feel intensely too.

The Runner's Cry

Long-distance runners often report crying during runs or at finish lines, a combination of physical exhaustion and emotional release. Marathon runners' cortisol levels have been compared to those of someone undergoing military interrogation. When you stop and that accomplishment hits, the emotional release can be immediate and powerful.

Emotional Release in Yoga

Hip-opening poses are notorious for bringing up emotions. Your hip flexors are involved in your body's stress response. When you're anxious, you physically tense around your hips. Deep stretches release that stored tension and emotions often come with it. There's also something profound about complete stillness. In child's pose or savasana, perhaps for the first time all day, you're not doing, producing, or managing anything. That stillness allows whatever you've been suppressing to surface. Your nervous system registers that you're safe enough to feel.

Crying During Strength Training

Even weightlifting can trigger tears, particularly when pushing to muscle failure. There's something about demanding your body give everything. That moment when you're not sure you can complete another rep but push through brings emotions to the surface. The tears aren't about the physical difficulty. They're about what it represents: resilience, showing up for yourself, proving you're stronger than you thought.

What's Actually Happening in Your Body

Working out is controlled physical stress. As you push harder, your body releases cortisol and activates your fight-or-flight response. But after intense exertion, your parasympathetic "rest and digest" system takes over. This shift can trigger emotional release. Crying facilitates this process. When you cry, your body releases oxytocin and endorphins, promoting calm. Your heart rate slows. You're not just processing emotions, you're physiologically resetting your nervous system. During steady-state activities, your body handles the physical work while your mind wanders. This creates rare space for emotional processing. We spend most days suppressing feelings and keeping it together. Exercise might be one of the few times we're not actively controlling our emotions.

What To Do When It Happens

If tears start flowing mid-workout:

Don't fight it. Suppressing emotions takes more energy than expressing them.

Keep breathing. Deep, steady breaths. Most emotional releases pass within a minute or two.

Stay with the movement if you can. Continuing to move while allowing emotion to flow can be deeply cathartic.

Step out if you need to. There's no shame in taking a moment, your emotional wellbeing matters more than finishing a circuit.

Reframe it. Instead of "what's wrong with me?" try "my body trusts this space enough to let go."

Remember no one is judging you. People are focused on their own workouts. And those who do notice typically respond with empathy.

When you cry in a fitness space, you're often giving others permission to be vulnerable too.

Excercise and mental health

Exercise changes your brain structure over time and is one of the most powerful mental health tools we have. Regular physical activity can be as effective as medication for treating mild to moderate depression.

The key is consistency. When we show up regularly for our bodies, we create the conditions for these deeper emotional releases to happen.

You're not broken

The next time you feel tears welling up during a workout, remember: you're not broken, you're not being "too sensitive," and you're definitely not alone.

True strength includes emotional awareness and the courage to be vulnerable. The most powerful thing you can do is show up consistently, for the workouts that feel amazing and for the ones that bring you to tears. Both are valuable. Both are working.

Your workout is working on more than just your muscles. It's supporting your mental health, providing space for processing, and helping you maintain equilibrium when everything else feels chaotic. So breathe, move, and if the tears come, let them flow.