5 Tips on How Exercise Prep Can Begin Healing Trauma
“You’ve already survived some of the worst day(s) of your life. This ‘gym bag’ is a support to stop those bad days from being every day, not a threat to them continuing.”
After you experience a traumatic event, one of the first things that is recommended is talk therapy. In talk therapy, you build safety and trust with your therapist, share your story, process your thoughts and feelings, increase your awareness about your trauma triggers and how you respond to them in a variety of situations, learn new skills, behaviors, and patterns to adjust to and cope with life, decrease Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression symptoms, among many other great, helpful things. However, one thing we often do not get from talk therapy, as many are not specialized in this field, is the education on how exercise and sport can reduce symptoms AND heal trauma, too.
It is not uncommon for someone with a history of trauma to find they enter flight, fight, freeze, fawn, etc. when their Central Nervous System (CNS), blood pressure levels, stress/cortisol levels, etc. are activated. This is why many who exercise post-trauma may also experience PTSD and anxiety symptoms such as, being on edge, worry and difficulty controlling worry, easily startled, hypervigilant, chest pain, feeling out of breath, etc. Now who would want to go workout and FEEL all of that when they are just trying to take care of themselves? This is why instead, people opt for yoga, preferably, trauma informed yoga practices with an instructor who has trauma training. However, after doing some research, I learned yoga (even trauma informed), can actually induce PTSD and anxiety symptoms, even more so than strenuous activities like, weightlifting, running, HIIT, etc. This is because of stillness and static movements, hyperawareness of one’s body, breathing, and correctness of poses (sexual trauma can really be triggered here) and how all these things mimic one’s bodily responses or experiences during or after trauma.
Now you may be thinking, “uh well what the hell am I supposed to do for exercise?” Luckily, I have answers for you.
There are actually ways to train your body to adapt and calm the CNS while exercising (we just need a really good plan first). Below are my MUST DOs to help you prepare your mind and body for exercise post-trauma:
Find a gym, studio, space that has everything you need for your preferred type of movement. Make sure it is convenient to get to, parking isn’t a pain, it’s affordable, locker room feels safe and has amenities you need, and there are people your age/with similar interests you can build community with.
Get a gym bag for your essentials i.e. headphones, water, towel, cute, fun gym clothes, shoes, journal for tracking, massage gun or ball, toiletries, medications, snacks, etc.
Pick a time of day to exercise that works with your schedule. Familiarity, reliability, something to look forward to, etc. can really help calm that pesky CNS!
Create a playlist ahead of time to listen to during your workouts. Music can be triggering as memories are often attached to songs - so, please be mindful of the music you choose!
If you are considering a trainer, ensure you vet this person first. I.e. they listen and understand your needs, concerns, and any previous injuries or anxieties, they have obtained the training(s) you need, their schedule is open for when you want to go, affordable, and they have a friendly/enjoyable personality, etc.
As you can see, this is all about creating safety, comfortability, familiarity/routine, and community. The goal here is to scan your body, your needs, your feelings, and your wants and translate this into an exercise program you can look forward to, or at least, start to. After trauma, if we feel out of control, unprepared, nervous/anxious in new environments, etc. our CNS and trauma triggers can flare, leaving us feeling the worst may happen and we are unsafe.
The biggest takeaway I want you to have from this is how important the “gym bag” listed above can become for you. Sometimes, there is shame and feelings of overwhelm when we start to gather the items. It’s this reminder of pressure, anxiety, and fear of what these items represent or are intended to do. They feel heavy as shit and it may feel best at first to avoid them. But, you’ve already survived some of the worst day(s) of your life. This “gym bag” is a support to stop those bad days from being every day, not a threat to them continuing. I challenge you to invest in these items, or a least one. Whether it be the shoes you got just for basketball, the swimsuit for swimming, the playlist for that weightlifting program, or the people you meet along the way… they will become a part of your safety resources to heal trauma and create that comfort and safety we so desperately seek post-trauma.
In my next blog, you will learn about disassociation and HOW to listen to your body before, during, and after exercise to avoid PTSD and anxiety symptoms, as well as tips on HOW to reduce negative self-talk and body image.
