People Are Working Out Together to Overcome Grief. Here's Why It Can Be Beneficial

NEED TO KNOW Fitness classes like Grief, Sweat & Tears offer shared movement and connection for those navigating loss Experts say exercise can improve mental health by boosting neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins Studies show physical activity promotes resilience and helps protect against chronic depression after traumatic loss Many people who are navigating grief are turning to physical activity as a way to 'release' their emotions. Sylvia Borowska recently spoke to CNN about leading her class at Liftonic gym, where most of her participants were crying. During the class, she asked each person to pick up a heavy weight and pretend it was on their back. 'Do as many deadlifts as you can for the amount of time that the person you've lost has passed,' Borowska said she told the class. 'That can represent either the months or years you've been grieving.' 'Grief is heavy, but we're stronger than that, so let's prove to ourselves and each other how strong we are,' she added, per the outlet. For the class, Borowska said she partnered with Grief, Sweat & Tears, a group that has helped about 400 people in the past six months. Grief, Sweat & Tears, which was founded in December 2025, is a community-driven initiative that hosts pop-up fitness classes across New York City for those navigating grief. Participants work out together before sharing stories about the loss of their loved ones. 'It's not therapy or a support group — just shared movement, release, and a space to connect with others who get it,' the organization says on its website. Group of young people exercising in gym. Getty Grief, Sweat & Tears is just one of the many organizations popping up nationwide offering group fitness spaces for those navigating grief. Science has long shown that exercise is effective for improving mental health. Earlier this year, experts from the Cochrane Library published a review that found that exercise may be as effective as medication to treat depression. 'Exercise can help improve neurotransmitter function, like serotonin as well as dopamine and endorphins,' Dr. Stephen Mateka, medical director of psychiatry at Inspira Health, told NPR. 'So there is certainly overlap between exercise and how antidepressants offer relief.' Additionally, a 2023 study found that physical activity can promote resilience and help protect people against some of the effects of traumatic loss. Bereaved participants who exercised more were less likely to develop chronic depression than those who didn't. 'I think that a lot of what is happening in grieving is actually not about verbal processing,' Mary-Frances O'Connor — a grief expert and author of 'The Grieving Body: How the Stress of Loss Can Be an Opportunity for Healing' — told The Washington Post. She pointed out that in addition to the mental health benefits of exercise, it gives people a sense of agency during a time when things often feel out of control. 'Those are the things that I think help return us to community life, which is a vital and really difficult and under-discussed aspect of grieving,' O'Connor said. However, experts say that people shouldn't rely only on exercise to process their emotions. Therapy is still highly encouraged for those dealing with trauma and grief.