Published on: 20-Dec-2025
Athletes and PTSD: The connection between physical activity and mental health has gained significant attention in recent years, particularly as researchers explore alternative and complementary approaches to treating trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder.
For individuals living with the aftermath of traumatic experiences, traditional talk therapy and medication remain essential treatment components. However, mounting evidence suggests that structured physical activity, particularly team sports and individual athletic pursuits, can play a meaningful role in trauma recovery.
In this article, Sports Medicine Weekly reviews how participation in sports activities offers something uniquely valuable that differs from conventional therapeutic approaches. When someone engages in athletic activity, they activate multiple healing mechanisms simultaneously: physical movement releases beneficial neurochemicals, social connection combats isolation, and skill mastery rebuilds confidence that trauma often destroys. This multifaceted approach addresses trauma’s complex impact on both body and mind.
Understanding Trauma Impact on the Body and Mind
Trauma fundamentally changes how the nervous system operates. After experiencing traumatic events, many people develop a heightened stress response that keeps their body in a constant state of alert. This physiological pattern, sometimes called hyperarousal, manifests through symptoms like a racing heart, shallow breathing, muscle tension, and an overwhelming sense that danger lurks nearby even in safe environments.
The body essentially becomes stuck in survival mode. Traditional cognitive therapies address the mental aspects of this condition, helping individuals reprocess traumatic memories and develop healthier thought patterns. However, because trauma embeds itself in the body stress response system, purely cognitive approaches sometimes miss a critical piece of the recovery puzzle.
Physical activity, particularly sports, directly engages the nervous system in ways that can help recalibrate this dysregulated stress response. When someone runs, swims, or plays basketball, their body experiences many of the same physiological sensations associated with the fight-or-flight response. The crucial difference is context. In sports, elevated heart rate and rapid breathing occur within a controlled, safe environment where the participant maintains agency and choice.
How Sports Create Therapeutic Benefits for Trauma Survivors
The therapeutic mechanisms behind sports participation operate on multiple levels. Aerobic exercise stimulates the production of endorphins and other neurochemicals that naturally regulate mood and stress. Beyond these biochemical changes, sports provide opportunities for trauma survivors to rebuild their relationship with their own bodies.
Many trauma survivors, particularly those who experienced physical or sexual assault, develop a disconnection from their physical selves. This dissociation serves as a protective mechanism but can become problematic when it persists long after the danger has passed. Sports require present-moment awareness and physical engagement, gently encouraging participants to reconnect with bodily sensations in a positive context.
Team sports offer additional benefits through social connection. Trauma often leads to isolation as survivors withdraw from relationships or struggle with trust. Being part of a team creates natural opportunities for positive social interaction without the intensity that might accompany more intimate relationships. The shared focus on a common goal can help individuals feel part of something larger than themselves, counteracting the isolation that frequently accompanies PTSD.
Individual sports like running, swimming, or martial arts provide different advantages. These activities allow participants to work at their own pace and maintain complete control over their experience, which can feel particularly important for individuals whose trauma involved a loss of control. The repetitive, rhythmic nature of many individual sports also promotes a meditative quality that can calm an overactive nervous system.
Addressing Complex PTSD Through Movement
Complex post-traumatic stress disorder develops from prolonged or repeated trauma, often occurring in situations where escape feels impossible. This might include childhood abuse, domestic violence, or extended exposure to combat situations. CPTSD involves not only the classic PTSD symptoms of flashbacks, nightmares, and hypervigilance but also difficulties with emotional regulation, relationship problems, and a profoundly altered sense of self.
Effective CPTSD treatment services recognize that recovery requires addressing both the traumatic memories themselves and the pervasive impact on a person’s core sense of identity and safety. Comprehensive treatment typically combines several therapeutic modalities, including trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), and approaches that specifically target nervous system regulation.
Sports participation complements these evidence-based treatments by providing a practical arena for practicing new skills. When someone with CPTSD engages in athletic activity, they have opportunities to experience emotional regulation in real time, practice tolerating physical sensations that might otherwise feel overwhelming, and gradually rebuild self-efficacy. The structured nature of sports provides predictability that can feel comforting to individuals whose trauma involved chaotic or unpredictable circumstances.
Integrating Sports into Comprehensive Treatment Plans
Trauma and PTSD treatment: While sports offer valuable therapeutic benefits, they work best as part of a broader treatment approach rather than as a standalone intervention. Behavioral health treatment programs that take an integrative approach often incorporate physical activity and sports alongside traditional psychotherapy, medication management when appropriate, and other evidence-based interventions.
These programs recognize that effective trauma treatment must address the whole person. A comprehensive behavioral health treatment program might include individual therapy sessions focused on processing traumatic memories, group therapy for skills development and peer support, medication evaluation and management, and structured physical activities including sports participation. This multifaceted approach acknowledges that different treatment components address different aspects of trauma complex impact.
The timing and type of sports participation matter. In early recovery, when someone still experiences severe PTSD symptoms, gentle activities like yoga or walking might provide more appropriate starting points than competitive team sports. As symptoms stabilize and coping skills strengthen, more vigorous or socially demanding activities can become viable options.
What Types of Sports Show the Most Promise?
Sports and overcoming trauma: Research into sports and trauma recovery remains an evolving field, but certain patterns have emerged. Aerobic activities that elevate heart rate for sustained periods appear particularly beneficial for reducing PTSD symptoms. Running, cycling, and swimming all show promise in research studies, likely due to their impact on stress hormone regulation and neurochemistry.
Martial arts deserve special mention for trauma recovery. Disciplines like Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing, or karate combine physical exertion with skill mastery and often emphasize respect, discipline, and controlled aggression. For trauma survivors, particularly those whose trauma involved physical violence, martial arts can help reclaim a sense of physical power and capability within a structured, safe environment.
Team sports like soccer, basketball, or volleyball offer the added dimension of social connection and cooperative achievement. The camaraderie that develops through shared effort and common goals can be profoundly healing for individuals who have felt isolated by their trauma experiences.
Potential Challenges and Considerations
Sports participation isn’t universally beneficial or appropriate for everyone in trauma recovery. Some individuals find that competitive environments trigger anxiety or shame, particularly if past trauma involved performance pressure or criticism. Physical contact in certain sports might feel intolerable for survivors of physical or sexual violence.
Additionally, the same drive and intensity that can make sports beneficial may also become problematic. Some trauma survivors develop compulsive exercise patterns as a way to manage difficult emotions, potentially leading to overtraining, injury, or using physical activity as an avoidance strategy rather than a healing tool.
Working with treatment professionals helps ensure that sports participation supports recovery rather than complicating it. Therapists familiar with trauma can help individuals choose appropriate activities, recognize warning signs of unhealthy patterns, and integrate athletic pursuits into a balanced recovery plan.
The Benefits of Sports Participation for Persons Suffering from Trauma And PTSD
The question of whether sports can help with trauma and PTSD has a nuanced answer: yes, when integrated thoughtfully into comprehensive treatment, physical activity and sports participation offer valuable therapeutic benefits. They provide opportunities to regulate the nervous system, rebuild self-confidence, connect with others, and rediscover joy in embodied experience.
However, sports represent one tool among many in the trauma recovery toolkit. The most effective approach combines evidence-based psychotherapy, appropriate medication when needed, peer support, and complementary strategies like physical activity. Each person’s recovery journey looks different, and what works beautifully for one individual might not suit another.
For anyone considering adding sports to their trauma recovery plan, consultation with mental health professionals provides essential guidance. With proper support and integration into comprehensive care, athletic activity can become a powerful ally in the journey toward healing and reclaiming a life not defined by past trauma.
The post Can Participating in Sports Help with Trauma and PTSD? appeared first on Sports Medicine Weekly By Dr. Brian Cole.