“Stop crying!” – have you ever told yourself these words?
Let me guess, you hated the tears as you were crying for your ex-, or for the pain when you stubbed your toe. The other one is a special pain – that combination of anger and debilitating agony.
There were good tears too, right? Ones you shed during that soap opera (that poor dog kept waiting for the owner who passed away) and tears during the wedding of your baby sister.
Crying is the healing process that unites people in times of misery, sadness, frustration, or full joy.
Little do most know, as well as myself before investigating this question, that crying has one additional benefit – it can help you lose weight.
Before you cancel your gym membership or throw away your sportswear, finish reading this article first and only then make a decision about your weight loss routine.
Does crying burn calories? You’re about to find out in the moment about the benefits of crying and the impact of your feelings on your weight. Yes, that’s right. The last one is especially odd. Don’t worry, there will be clear explanations.
I’ve got amazing news for you, if you adore crying, there is a good chance for you to shed some calories. Of course not the same amount you would use when doing cardio or swimming, but at least something.
Crying is apt to burn the same number of calories as laughter. According to one study, a person burns around 1.3 calories per minute of laughing (5). Crying calories burned per minute will have approximately the same result. This means, crying for 10 minutes will likely burn over 10 calories.
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If you’re shedding tears longer, for instance, when crying for an hour you should expect to burn over 60 calories. Those who state that crying makes you lose weight as well as shapes you up, are for sure wrong. Definitely, it’s not enough for getting in shape. I don’t recommend crying as the major means to trim away fat.
Opt for healthier and more efficient ways, such as:
Crying is the natural reaction to versatile situations, both positive and negative. You should cry if you feel like it. The reason should not be minimal weight loss. It gets deeper here as the crying process offers a lot of benefits.
I’m about to disclose to you the top 8 advantages of a genuine weep once in a while:
A study in 2014 demonstrated the soothing effects of crying on people. The study explains that crying activates the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which helps people relax (8).
Another research shows that besides a soothing effect, shedding emotional tears helps relieve pain. This happens due to the release of oxytocin and endorphins (8). You have surely heard of the possibilities of these chemicals. They make you feel good and might ease both physical and emotional pain.
Are you fighting to fall asleep? This is especially common among people who get used to late-night screen amusements on social media. However, a small study in 2015 states that crying can actually help you turn in faster (2).
However, one thing to point out is that the study was conducted on little babies. But still, why not experiment with it on your own? Watch a sobbing melodrama before going to bed, enjoy a generous weep, and observe.
Read more: Kimchi: Calories, Nutrition, and Health Benefits
Have you ever thought that crying wipes out bacteria? Here’s the facts, when shedding tears you keep the eyes clean as tears contain a fluid called lysozyme. A 2011 study states that lysozyme has powerful antimicrobial properties that could help to reduce risks presented by bioterror agents, such as anthrax (9).
There are basal tears that keep your eyes moist every time you blink to prevent mucous membranes from drying out. Basal tears do not only hydrate your eyes but sharpen your focus aiding you to see more clearly (11).
When you cry in response to stress, your tears contain a number of stress hormones and other chemicals (7).
Researchers believe that crying could decrease the levels of these chemicals in the body, which could ultimately reduce stress (7). Surely, we need more research into this area.
No research is needed to prove to you that crying makes you feel good. The release of oxytocin and endorphin plays a crucial role in promoting your mood. Just remember the last time you allowed yourself to immerse in a deep, profound cry. It must have felt amazing and rejuvenating.
Whether it’s another tearjerker or a release of negative emotions, it does make you feel better. Crying During Meditation could be another good strategy to release inner pain, acknowledge it, and understand how it affects you.
Crying is the process of uniting people together, increasing attachment behavior, and encouraging closeness, empathy, and support from friends and family (6). It’s obvious that when you share your thoughts and feelings with others, they respond in a soothing and understanding way.
This ultimately builds trust and helps you look at each other from another perspective.
Life serves up all kinds of feelings. There are many situations that reveal all kinds of feelings: cramming for the next exams, anxiety before your first blind date, another fight between your parents, the purring of your cat lying on your lap.
All these feelings and other emotionally draining activities might burn some amount of calories.
Simply sitting on the couch spacing out requires you to burn some calories according to Harvard Health Publishing (3).
However, crying and other emotional reactions don’t burn a significant number of calories because it’s only a physical response and not a physical exercise.
Besides, mental and emotional stress among some people could provoke weight gain. One study in 2018 believes that emotional eating or overeating could be your response to negative emotions. This contributes to weight gain and reduces your chances to shed weight (4).
Therefore, some may even suggest that crying makes you fat. Not the process itself, but your next actions.
Just recall the typical comedy shows when the leading actress lies on her bed, surrounded by chocolate candies and wrappers. She’s agitated and completely bummed. She doesn’t want to do anything except sobbing hard tears and indulging in candies.
Will it help her lose weight? Surely not. It provides the opposite effect.
To sum up, if you’re aiming to lose weight, overloading your brain with all kinds of emotions will not help you achieve the weight loss results. It might make you overeat, or feel too exhausted to engage in any physical activity.
If you wish to free yourself from all the extra pounds that have been weighting you down for way too long, start using the BetterMe app and overhaul your entire life!
As a human being, you need to cry once in a while, as this is one of the effective ways to release your emotions and improve your mood.
But how does it affect your skin? Crying damages your skin only when you’re crying too much. It may cause skin irritation and minor changes in skin hydration. Extensive crying can lead to puffy eyes and swelling (1). That said, after the cry instead of wiping your face with tissues, try to wash it with cold water or apply cold compresses over your eyelids.
Read more: Intermittent Fasting Macros – Managing Calories the Smart Way!
Complete your healing process with Somatic Exercises to ramp up your mental health.
There are many effective exercises you can use to burn 100 per 10 minutes. Among them are: sprint HIIT workouts, jump rope circuit workouts, burpees, pushups, plank jacks, running on the treadmill, mountain climbers, and planks. You could combine plank and mountain climbers and perform each activity for 5 minutes. The same goes for other types of exercises. Your job is to fully engage and sweat as hard as you can.
A study showed that a minute of laughing burns around 1.3 calories, which is the same for crying. Hence, if you cry for 1 minute straight, you may lose 1.3 calories.
No, it’s too much and anyone can burn 100 calories in 10 minutes. With the proper exercises, you’re able to reach this result. Try to perform activities from the previous list. Be sure you’re breathing properly, staying hydrated, and in case of any pain stop the exercise.
In this article, I mentioned that you might cut calories by just spanning out on the chair. However, shedding more calories requires more engaging activities. Other “lazy activities” you could try to smash your calories are hitting the beach, taking up leisure sports, manicuring your bushes around the house, gardening, chewing gum, and/or exposing yourself to versatile emotions, like laughing or crying.
If you desire to promptly burn 1.000 calories you should strive for high-intensity training that burns a significant number of calories. They include running, cycling, CrossFit, high-intensity interval training, jumping ropes, rock climbing, and swimming. Remember to do them safely which involves sticking to the right techniques. The proper technique is your healthy way to cut down excess calories with a reduced risk of injuries.
Does crying burn calories? Surely, it does. Around 1.3 calories are shed when crying for 1 minute. True, it’s not enough to reach your weight loss goals but it is at least something.
Crying though is the process which you may benefit from: you get a soothing sensation, you relive your pain, you might fall asleep faster, and combat some bacteria; Additionally, you slightly improve your vision, release toxins, and relieve stress.
Lastly, your mood ramps up as well as your relationships with those you trust.
Crying as well as other feelings do burn calories but treating them as the main means of losing weight is not a good idea.
A truly effective way to shape up healthily is to engage in sporting activities, eat better food, sleep enough, and hydrate yourself.
Cry because you feel like it, not because you need it.
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