Why Women Cry During Hip Openers: Fascia, Trauma, and the Body’s Need to Release

1 day ago
3 min read

Sometimes a woman cries during a workout—and she has no idea why.

Last week, it happened during a joint mobility session.

We had just finished hip openers and fascia release work. During weighted butterflies against the wall, she felt a familiar lump rise in her throat. By the time she finished one side of her psoas traction, the tears came pouring down—and didn’t stop until she finally screamed it out.

She wasn’t sad. Nothing “triggering” had just happened. And yet, her body knew it was time.

When the Body Remembers What the Mind Has Forgotten

Once I reminded her that this space is different—that women cry here all the time—she finally trusted the moment.

And that’s when her body let go of something it had been holding onto for years.

This is the part of the body we don’t talk about enough.

When women begin joint mobility and fascia-focused work, they start to learn a powerful truth:

The body remembers.

It remembers experiences. It remembers pressure. It remembers grief, trauma, survival, and unspoken emotions.

Women, in particular, tend to store emotional energy in the hips and the throat.

Why Women Hold Tension in the Hips and Throat

The reasons vary, but the patterns are familiar.

Sometimes it’s pregnancy—the physical and emotional trauma the body endures to create and carry life.

Sometimes it’s sexual assault.

Sometimes it’s years of low-energy intimacy or disconnect from the body.

Sometimes it’s the constant tightness that comes from trying to control a world that was never meant to be controlled.

And often, it’s the throat—holding every moment she stayed quiet, swallowed her truth, or silenced her needs to keep the peace.

As women age, there is so much more happening in the body than muscles, joints, and skin.

Fascia: The Missing Piece in Women’s Training

Fascia is the connective tissue that holds everything together.

When we ignore fascia in training, it’s like trying to stuff more sausage into a casing that’s already too tight.

The result isn’t strength.

It’s contraction. Rigidity. Pain.

This is why so many women experience:

Chronic hip pain
Shoulder and neck tension
A constant feeling of tightness or restriction
Pain that doesn’t resolve with stretching alone

The body isn’t weak.

It’s overheld.

The Moment a Woman’s Body Finally Feels Safe

I’ve been doing this work for a long time, and one of my favorite coach–client moments is when a woman finally stops holding on.

Or more accurately—when her body finally feels seen, heard, respected, and safe enough to release.

This client released during her third session.

She couldn’t believe how her body felt afterward. She had no explanation for the tears—but she felt lighter. More open. More herself.

She’s a business owner. A mother. A divorce survivor. A fighter.

Much like most women I know.

Strength Alone Is Not the Answer

When we live our lives being strong, capable, composed, and “put together” under impossible standards, we forget something essential:

Feminine energy thrives on both strength and softness.

Flow and structure. Power and surrender.

If you’ve been living with chronic hip pain, shoulder tension, or that constant feeling of tightness, I invite you to think beyond just stretching.

Your body may need posture correction. It may need stronger tendons and ligaments. It may need deep core and pelvic floor stability.

But most importantly—it may need fascia release and a space to breathe.

Your Body Doesn’t Need to Be Fixed

I’ve learned this not only through coaching women from ages 21 to 76, but through listening to my own body.

Your body doesn’t need to be fixed.

She needs to be seen. Understood. Respected. Loved.

At Strongselves, we create space for both strength and release—because true health requires both.

She needs to breathe.

And so do you.

-Amanda Matos ,

Owner and Coach

Ready to Experience This Work?

If this resonated with you, your body may already be asking for something deeper.

We invite you into a space where women don’t have to hold it all together—and don’t have to do it alone.

👉 [Book a private consultation] to learn more about our joint mobility and women’s health programs.