Understanding Your Body’s Signals: Exercise and PTSD Recovery
Our occupational therapists often work with clients with PTSD who have reduced or stopped participating in all aspects of physical activity and exercise. Recovering from PTSD isn’t just about calming the mind...it’s also about helping the body relearn what safety feels like. Exercise can play a powerful role in that process, but the type of movement you choose matters just as much as the movement itself.
How Different Types of Movement Support Recovery
Different intensities of movement can impact your nervous system in different ways:
Low‑intensity movement (e.g., walking, gentle yoga)
→ Helps ground the body when your nervous system feels overloaded
→ Supports calm, stability, and reconnectionModerate‑intensity exercise (e.g., steady cardio, light strength)
→ Builds tolerance for activation in a steady, predictable way
→ Helps your body learn that increased heart rate and activity are safeHigh‑intensity workouts (e.g., HIIT, heavy lifting)
→ Can feel empowering for some
→ May feel triggering for others
→ Depends on whether your body interprets the sensation as a challenge or a threat
The goal is choosing the intensity that supports your sense of safety and regulation. There’s no one “right” intensity for PTSD recovery - only what feels safe, doable, and supportive of your healing.
A Trauma-Informed Approach to Movement
Occupational therapists at Trilight Health help clients recovering from trauma learn how to move their bodies in ways that feel safe, empowering, and regulating. Instead of pushing intensity for the sake of fitness, OTs guide clients to notice their somatic cues, including:
Changes in heart rate
Shifts in breathing
Muscle tension or tightness
These cues help clients decide:
When to slow down
When to pause
When they’re ready to take on more
Progression starts with grounding, predictablemovement, then gradually builds toward moderate or higher‑intensity exercise only when the client’s nervous system can handle activation without slipping into overwhelm. The goal isn’t performance; it’s helping the body relearn that activation can be safe, controlled, and even healing.
Why Choice and Consistency Matter
Recovery isn’t about pushing harder - it’s about building trust with your body over time.
Small, repeatable activities (like short walks or gentle stretching) can be powerful
Familiar environments help the body feel more at ease
Having control over how and when you move builds confidence and autonomy
Even brief, consistent movement experiences send an important message: your body can activate - and return to calm - without danger.
The Bigger Picture: Reconnecting to Everyday Life
As this process unfolds, many clients begin to notice meaningful changes:
Activities that once felt overwhelming become more accessible
Physical sensations feel less threatening
Confidence in the body gradually returns
By integrating movement in a gradual, supportive way, OT bridges physical and emotional recovery - helping individuals reconnect with their bodies and return to the activities that matter most in daily life.
Whitworth, J. W., Nosrat, S., SantaBarbara, N. J., & Ciccolo, J. T. (2019). High‑intensity interval training and moderate‑intensity continuous training in adults with PTSD: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 16, 1–7.
Fetzner, M. G., & Asmundson, G. J. (2015). Aerobic exercise reduces symptoms of PTSD: A randomized controlled trial. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 44(4), 301–313.
Hegberg, N. J., Hayes, J. P., & Hayes, S. M. (2019). Exercise intervention in PTSD: A narrative review and rationale for implementation. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10, 133.