Pictured: hand weights and an orange resistance band with handles.
If we know anything about trauma, we know that the body quite literally "keeps the score" and remembers trauma. Trauma imprints on the body. A yoga pose or a weight training pose that seems as simple as opening the hips might not be so neutral for a sexual assault survivor. We also know that trauma can cause chronic body pain.
Attending a group exercise class, or even 1:1 personal training, can be incredibly healing when done in the right environment and with the right facilitator. There are so many easy ways working with a trauma-informed exercise teacher can alleviate unnecessary triggers for trauma survivors.
A trauma-informed exercise facilitator would be vigilant on their own body’s positioning. For example, if someone was assaulted from behind them (grabbed, pushed, etc.), a trainer would not want to stand behind their client where the client could not see them. They would offer touch adjustments only with explicit consent. For example, “Can I place one gentle hand on your lower back to deepen your downward dog?” Notice the teacher outlines exactly what they will be doing. Their language is not vague. I am encouraged to see some yoga studios using consent cards to be placed on their mat. This is a vital way studios can create a culture of touch consent.
In order to ensure your provider is trauma-informed, you can ask them questions. If they are not open to taking the time to answer them, they are not a compassionate teacher. Some questions you might want to ask are:
Have you received any training in working with clients with trauma or PTSD?
Have you worked with trauma or PTSD before?
You can also disclose a small amount of information if you trust your provider and what you need to feel safe around them. Advocate for yourself!
Some people might feel triggered by the body’s reaction to exercise, like heavy breathing, accelerated heart rate, and sweating. These feelings can mirror anxiety or panic, which some people who have experienced trauma may experience. It is important to know difference: anxiety, or just the body’s response to exercise? As your internal smoke alarm may be falsely going off, you can use positive self talk like, “This is just my body’s response to exercise. I am safe.” A therapist can help you work on these reactions and thought processes.
Exercise can be especially fraught territory for people with a history of eating disorders or those in recovery. The exercise industry as a whole is generally not weight-neutral, but rather encourages weight loss and "working on that bikini body". This type of language may be triggering. As advised before, advocate for yourself and ask if your teacher uses a weight-neutral approach to their exercise instruction, if they have worked with people with eating disorders, or anything else you’d like to know. Usually you can glean some information from an exercise institution’s marketing. For example, are they promoting losing that stubborn 10 pounds, or joyful connection to the body and mind? Do they use pictures in their marketing of different bodies?
By being a conscious consumer of public exercise, you can garner another tool to heal from trauma and reestablish safety in your body.