How Movement Heals

Trauma isn’t just stored in memories—it embeds itself in the body. It rewires our nervous system, disrupts our sleep, and heightens our stress response. Over time, it can make us feel unsafe in our own skin.

In the bestselling book The Body Keeps the Score, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk writes:

“Trauma is not just an event that took place in the past; it is also the imprint left by that experience on the mind, brain and body.”

He emphasizes that while cognitive approaches like therapy are helpful, they often don’t fully address the physical imprint trauma leaves behind.

Insert: movement.

I first started researching the connection between movement and trauma because of my own lived experience. In 2024, I went through a life-altering event—divorce. Words I never imagined writing, yet they’re now a part of my story. As life unraveled in one way, so did many layers of pain and trauma that had long been stored under the surface.

One of my greatest forms of medicine in the healing process has been movement.

And surprisingly, it came in a form I once swore I hated: running.

I remember growing up playing soccer and secretly cursing my sweet friend Lauren, who could run like a cheetah without stopping. She always led our team’s warm-up runs, and I swear her “warm-up” was an all-out sprint without breaking a sweat. Meanwhile, I felt like I was dying. I truly hated running.

But this year, to my surprise, my body and mind have shown up for me in unexpected ways through running. It’s become one of my favorite ways to move. It feels freeing. It shakes the anxiety loose. It clears the fog of overwhelm, fear, betrayal, and disappointment.

And I began to wonder… why is this working? Is it just in my head, or is this science-backed?

Turns out, it’s absolutely science-backed. Here’s what I found:

How Running (and Other Movement) Heals Trauma

1. Regulates the Nervous System
   Running activates the parasympathetic nervous system (your “rest and digest” state), helping the body calm itself after being in a heightened stress response. The rhythmic motion—feet hitting the ground, breath falling into a pattern—helps regulate heart rate and breathing, which can ease symptoms of hyperarousal often experienced by trauma survivors (van der Kolk, 2014).
   
   

2. Releases Stored Trauma Energy
   Dr. Peter Levine, founder of Somatic Experiencing, has studied how animals instinctively release energy after trauma—think of a deer trembling after a close call. Humans often suppress that response, and the trauma gets stuck. Movement gives the body a safe way to release this energy and complete the stress cycle (Levine, 1997).
   
   

3. Boosts Mood-Chemistry Naturally
   Aerobic exercise like running increases endorphins and dopamine—chemicals that boost mood and promote a sense of well-being. For those struggling with depression, anxiety, or emotional numbness, this natural lift can be incredibly grounding (Harber & Sutton, 2021).
   
   

4. Restores a Sense of Agency
   Trauma often strips us of control. Movement—especially something as self-directed as running—gives it back. Choosing to move, setting your pace, feeling the strength of your own body—it all reinforces autonomy and confidence.
   
   

While running has become my go-to, many other forms of movement have been proven to support trauma recovery: yoga, walking, and dancing, to name a few.

Running hasn’t erased my past—but it has transformed how trauma lives in my body. Each stride, each inhale, each mile is a reclamation. A rewriting of my nervous system’s story.

So if you’re on a healing journey too—maybe start small. Go for a walk. Dance in your kitchen. Take a yoga class. Try a jog, even if it’s just around the block.

You don’t have to love it right away. But don’t be surprised if, like me, movement becomes one of your greatest sources of strength.

You’re not broken. You’re healing.
And healing moves.