“Just keep moving”: the healing power of movement

As we enter the last quarter of the year, somatic therapist Fiona Smith emphasises the healing power of movement.

Photograph: Unsplash

Text: Fiona L Smith

By the time October arrives, I often find myself wondering where everyone went, as many Danes begin to retreat inside, into well-established family and friendship groups and routines. It can be a particularly challenging time of year for internationals, as the contrast between the light-filled Danish summer and the long stretch of darker months ahead takes its toll on the body and brain, and we perhaps begin to notice a decline in physical or mental energy.

But just as the instinct to hibernate and hang out on the sofa grows stronger, movement becomes more important than ever – not just to maintain health and vitality, but to process stress before it becomes chronic and, perhaps most importantly, to find ways of staying present and connected with one another.

Movement isn’t just exercise, calories, or fitness targets. As a somatic therapist (‘soma’ = the body), I’ve learned that movement – or the lack of it – has the power to free us or imprison us, shaping how we feel emotionally, mentally, and how we respond to the world around us. The body really does ’keep the score’*.

The type of movement we choose matters, and so does the intention we bring to it. There are times when strong, vigorous aerobic activity is exactly what’s needed to shake off a hard day and re-energise. Still, there are times when this intensity can become a way of distracting ourselves, pushing past what we’re feeling, and bypassing emotions rather than meeting them. At times of grief or loss, for example, when everything feels heavy and constricted, the gentlest of stretches or the simplest of walks might be enough; pushing ourselves to go to the gym could be counterproductive.

Movement strengthens and has the potential to create resilience and flexibility, but movement that comes in response to the needs of the body allows us to connect with ourselves more deeply, and to soften, shift patterns, transform and heal.

For women approaching menopause, weight training supports bone density and muscle strength, while softer, more reflective practices that nurture the body might be needed before and during menstruation, in order not to deplete energy. Gender aside, some practices are better suited to certain types of people and bodies than others. Yin yoga is really helpful for a muscle-bound body that craves opening and rest, but can be less helpful for those who are already hyper-flexible and whose nervous system tends towards freeze or numbness.

When we learn to listen to our bodies and choose movement wisely, we give ourselves what we really need, rather than following trends or ignoring the signals to stop, slow down, or do more.

Free dance, or conscious dance (5Rhythms is the best known of this form of movement), is a wonderful way to get unstuck by accessing different rhythms - going slowly, finding flow in circles or sharpening our edges and exploring boundaries; moving into stillness or shaking and stamping - letting the body express desire, fear, sadness or joy without having to get anything ‘right’. It’s a wonderful way to connect with breath and body exactly as you feel when led by music, without needing to learn steps or having any goal of ‘dancing well’.

Moving while noticing and welcoming the sensations and emotions that arise with curiosity gives us the freedom to release held tension from where it’s held in the viscera, muscles, fascia, and joints. When we shift our attention from the mind to the body, we stop trying to fix or understand patterns of stress or anxiety intellectually and instead can begin to feel, allow and release.

Recent research on movement confirms what many of us already sense intuitively - that even a 10-15 walk in a natural environment (Denmark has some beautiful city parks if you can’t go further afield on a weekday) reduces anxiety, depression, and the physiological markers of stress, such as raised heart rate and cortisol. Walking in nature triggers the ‘rest and digest’ response of the parasympathetic nervous system and, when our eyes see fractals - the repeating patterns in water, leaves, stars or clouds - the calming effects are amplified. Next time you go for a walk and look around, notice the response of your body and brain as the mind quietens and you return to a state of greater ‘relaxed alertness’.

So, as the nights grow longer, I invite you to notice what you need through movement. Is it strength, softness, rhythm, or rest? Do you need the bracing air and cross-brain movement of a brisk walk, the solitude and connection of slow yoga, or the shared energy of dancing with friends? Even five minutes of gentle shaking or stomping to a steady rhythm is enough to shift your mental and emotional state, bringing energy into your body.

There’s no ‘right’ answer, only a reminder to keep moving – not for the sake of movement itself, but to meet your body as it is today, release what got stuck and to stay present, connected, and alive in your life.

* The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk is the first book I’d recommend for anyone who’s interested in how the body stores stress.