Does Crying Burn Calories? Here’s What Science Reveals

Everyone has heard the running joke that goes something like this: “At least I burned a few calories from all the crying I did after that breakup.” While it may sound like nothing more than a way of comedically dealing with a heartbreak, it raises an intriguing question: can crying actually burn calories? The simple answer is yet, but probably not in the amounts that we’d all hope for.

Just like laughing, fidgeting, talking, or crying, it makes the body use some level of energy. Your facial muscles move and contract, your heart rate increases, your breathing can change, and your nervous system becomes more active. These responses can all require a certain amount of calories, but the actual amount you burn is a little on the smaller side.

This doesn’t mean that crying is without any benefits. Tears shed from emotions play a huge role in mental health, stress relief, and emotional regulation. In many ways, the emotional benefits of a really good cry can be even more valuable than the handful of calories you may burn in the process. Here are some interesting facts about crying, calories burned, and how expressing emotions affects health. 

Does Crying Burn Any Calories?

Crying does burn some calories but only small amounts. There is not a ton of research on how many calories people can burn just from crying, but experts think that the energy expenditure is most similar to movements like laughing. Estimates project that you could burn around 1 to 1.5 calories per minute during a good crying session. For some comparative perspective: a 10 minute session of crying can burn about 10-15 calories; walking swiftly for 10-minutes can burn around 40-70 calories; and a 30-minute workout session can burn between 150 and 400 calories depending on how intense the workout is.

Even if you have an intense crying session, the calories you burn are still insignificant in comparison to physical exercise. So, it may be a way to burn a few calories, but crying is not going to be a sustainable way to lose weight.