Trauma-Informed Movement: Safety Before Stretching

How to move your body in ways that support regulation instead of dysregulation

Movement doesn’t always feel safe — especially when you’re living with chronic pain, burnout, trauma history, or nervous system overload.

In this episode of The Rooted Wild Podcast, we explore what trauma-informed movement actually means and why the common advice to “just move your body” doesn’t work for everyone. Through a recreation therapy and nervous system lens, this conversation reframes movement as a tool for regulation rather than performance.

You’ll learn:
 🌿 Why movement can sometimes increase stress or overwhelm
 🌿 How trauma and chronic stress affect body awareness
 🌿 The difference between exercise and regulation-based movement
 🌿 Signs that movement may be dysregulating your nervous system
 🌿 Practical ways to move safely within real limits
 🌿 How to rebuild trust with your body through gentle, adaptive movement

Whether you’re returning to movement after injury, navigating chronic illness, or learning how to move in a way that feels supportive instead of demanding, this episode offers a compassionate starting point.

Chapters

• 1:50 Gentle Arrival Practice
• 2:46 Why Movement Doesn't Always Feel Good
• 3:59 Trauma, Stress, and Body Awareness
• 4:54 Exercise vs. Regulation-Based Movement
• 5:53 Signs Movement is Dysregulating
• 6:32 Principles of Trauma-Informed Movement
• 9:28 Accessible Trauma-Informed Movement Options
• 10:40 Guided Movement Check-In
• 12:10 Movement, Chronic Pain, and Burnout
• 12:54 Closing Reflection