Fit to Print Volume 24 Issue 4 December 2015 | Page 12

M e m b e r Pe r s p e c t i v e

by Christine Jelley

I (Secretly) Cried at the Gym
Sounds Crazy, But It Really Happens
taking this into account and creating
“safe places” for clients to freely
emote. When Andrea (yoga) mentioned
that the class might get teary during
class a few years back, I wrote it off as
touchy-feely thinking. Wrong again. It
sounded crazy, but it’s really
happening. I wonder if anyone at
Fitness Incentive has excused
themselves from public areas to cry it
out in the restrooms.

Original artwork by Christine Jelley

I

thought it was just me. I was in
stretch class, lying on my back,
leaving all my problems at the door.
Or so I thought. Suddenly tears began to
well in my eyes. “Oh no, what now?” The
class continued to move through leg
stretches, me included. The tears were
confined to my eyes, and I swore I could
feel them drying in place. Yes! They’d be
gone by the time we turned over onto
our stomachs. Then we flipped, and my
tears hit the mat in two big drops.
Luckily the room was dark, and nobody
noticed.
A Google search revealed that crying in
the gym is a well-documented
phenomenon, especially during yoga.
Deep twisting not only increases
flexibility, but can unleash a pent-up
emotional center. One minute you are
bowing to your teacher, the next
blubbering to the groove of a plucked
sitar. Remember the old comic strips
showing a character crying with tearing
splaying wildly out of the corners of the
eyes – that may happen to you or your
class neighbor. Apparently it’s normal.
Time Magazine explained the physiology:
“Exercise releases endorphins, which
interact with serotonin and dopamine,
the chemicals that impact mood. In
yoga, deep hip openers – like the “pigeon
pose” – are meant to stir emotions (yogis
believe our emotional baggage lives in
our hips).”
Don’t think you’re safe if you don’t do
yoga. It’s happening in Pilates, cycle, on
the treadmill, maybe even in the weight
room: no spot is safe from the power of
movement to release emotion. And
instructors at gyms all over the world are

12

No one wants to be known
as “The Gym Crier,” but
there are some nice benefits
to giving in once-in-a-while.

Let’s add more science for credibility.
In an article by Joseph Stromberg for
the Smithsonian Magazine, he
explained that there are three major
types of tears: basal, reflex, and
psychic (triggered by emotions). And
guess what - they all look distinctly
different under the microscope. You
can google some very cool pictures
online. All tears contain salt water
combined with enzymes, oils, and
antibodies. He lists different causes of
tears. I added some real-life examples.
*Tears of remembrance. (Your Mom
hugging and reassuring you when a
mean kid ripped your school bag and
stole your Oreos.)
*Tears of elation at a life-changing
moment. (You child graduates. Heck,
your dog got a good report card from
the groomer at PetSmart.)
*Tears of possibility and hope. (“I
WILL lose those 15lbs for my son’s
wedding!”)
*Tears of release. (Julie Andrews as
Maria Von Trapp returns to the Captain
and the children while twirling and
singing, “The hills are alive, with the
sound of music.”)
*Tears of momentum, redirected. (I
don’t really get this one, and I couldn't
find more detail.)
*Tears of ending and beginning. (The
Holidays 2015 FIT to Print

divorce is final, drinks with friends at 7
pm.)
No one wants