Reclaiming Regulation: Movement as Medicine
There are times when we feel so overwhelmed that sitting still seems impossible, and others when stillness is all we can manage. Either way, the body holds the story, and often, it needs to move to tell it.
This is the third blog in the Reclaiming Regulation series, a collection of reflections on ways to support your nervous system from the inside out. We’ve looked at tuning into the body through interoception, and working with the breath as a gentle bridge back to calm. This time, we’re looking at movement, not as a fitness regime or routine, but as a fundamental way of remembering we are safe, alive, and here.
Movement Is More Than Muscle
When we move, it’s not just our muscles and joints that are activated. Movement has a profound influence on the nervous system, the brain, and our sense of self.
Walking, rocking, stretching, dancing; these aren’t just physical acts. They stimulate neural pathways, shift hormonal patterns, and provide new sensory input that can help bring us out of shutdown or stress.
There’s also something deeply regulating about rhythm. Steady, repetitive movement, like walking, swinging, or swaying, can support the brain in returning to a sense of safety, especially after stress or emotional activation.
Optic Flow: The Visual Calming System You Didn’t Know You Had
Ever noticed how a walk in nature feels different to pacing around your kitchen?
Part of the reason is something called optic flow, the way visual information moves across your field of vision as you move forward through space. When you walk and your eyes gently track the passing landscape, your brain receives continuous cues that you’re moving, safe, and in control.
This stream of visual input helps to settle the amygdala (the brain’s threat detector), lower physiological arousal, and create a state that’s more open and connected.
Driving, cycling, walking outdoors, especially in natural environments, all make use of optic flow. It’s one reason why a walk around the block can often feel better than scrolling your phone or lying still in bed, even if your mood is low. It’s also one of the reasons that I provide walk and talk therapy.
Bilateral Movement: Left, Right, Reset
Another powerful form of regulation is bilateral movement, rhythmic actions that alternate the left and right sides of the body. Think of walking, swimming, drumming, or even knitting.
These movements can help integrate activity across the left and right hemispheres of the brain, improving coordination, focus, and emotional processing. In trauma work, bilateral stimulation is sometimes used intentionally to help process distressing memories, but in everyday life, it shows up in simple things like walking while thinking, or pacing while talking through a difficult problem.
If you’ve ever felt like a walk “cleared your head,” that’s not just metaphor. It’s the brain benefiting from rhythm and repetition.
Movement Is Your Language Too
Sometimes, when words aren’t available, the body speaks.
We shake, stretch, bounce our legs, clench our fists, or rock gently. These aren’t flaws to be ironed out. They are signs of a nervous system seeking resolution.
Movement can be small or large, subtle or wild. You don’t need to join a gym, set goals, or even leave the house. It could be:
A quiet walk noticing what moves past your eyes
Stretching while keeping your breath slow
Swaying in time with music that meets you where you are
Rocking gently while seated, letting your spine move
Dancing, stomping, shaking, skipping… anything to move the energy through
When Movement Is Too Much
It’s worth noting, movement isn’t always what’s needed. Sometimes we’re depleted, exhausted, or in pain. Sometimes movement feels frightening. That’s OK too.
What matters is choice. Movement should feel invitational, not imposed. This blog isn’t about fixing, it’s about remembering that your body knows ways back to safety, if we give it the chance to show us.
Keep It Moving, Gently
Movement is one of the oldest ways humans regulate. Babies are rocked, children fidget, adults walk things off.
It’s not indulgent. It’s not optional. It’s how we’re built.
If you haven’t moved much lately, consider a few minutes today. Step outside and let your eyes follow the hedges. Rock on your heels. Sway to a song. Let movement be a way home.