It isn’t just mind-body means of exercise that can trigger an emotional response. High intensity workouts such as jogging or running are interpreted as stressors by your body. In an effort to neutralize or balance that stress, you may naturally start crying, despite not feeling emotional, just as you would from anything else in your day that was causing you stress¹. As a form of exercise, running can be completely exhausting. When we are depleted of energy the resulting exhaustion can make your brain less inhibited, making room for whatever emotions need to come to the surface². Doctors hypothesize that “[e]xercise can stimulate neurotransmitter activity in the brain, which may lead to increased emotional intensity³.” These chemicals, dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, fluctuate with exercise, which could leave you feeling enthusiastic, joyful, even euphoric³! These heightened emotions may also leave you feeling more ecstatic or disappointed after your performance depending on your desired outcome. What may be a mere 30 second decrease in your PR time could leave you wiping away tears that you didn’t expect to shed. Conversely, setting a new record could have you dancing in the streets from the overflow of dopamine, our reward chemical.