Not every somatic exercise has strong research behind it. Some practices are widely discussed online but have limited clinical testing. Below are several body-based exercises that have been studied in peer-reviewed research, including randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, or meta-analyses.
This does not mean these exercises work for everyone. Nervous systems differ, and many people need to experiment to find what feels regulating versus activating. But these are some of the more evidence-supported body-based approaches currently available.
Breathwork Exercises With Research Support
Breathing practices are among the most researched somatic interventions. Studies have found certain forms of slow, controlled breathing may reduce stress, anxiety, physiological arousal, and improve emotional regulation.
Extended Exhale Breathing
Research consistently finds that slower breathing with longer exhales may help activate the parasympathetic nervous system and reduce stress responses. One simple version involves inhaling for about four seconds and exhaling for six to eight seconds. The goal is not taking giant breaths or breathing perfectly. Softer, slower breathing is often more regulating for the nervous system. Many studies have found slower-paced breathing more effective for anxiety reduction than rapid breathing exercises.
Diaphragmatic Breathing
Diaphragmatic breathing focuses on slower breathing that expands the abdomen and lower ribs rather than shallow chest breathing. Clinical trials have found improvements in stress reduction, anxiety, emotional regulation, and cortisol regulation.
A simple way to practice is placing one hand on the chest and one hand on the stomach while breathing slowly enough that the lower hand moves more than the upper hand. Many people discover they have been chest breathing for years without realizing it.
Resonant Frequency Breathing
This approach involves breathing slowly at approximately five to six breaths per minute and is commonly used in heart rate variability biofeedback research. Studies suggest it may improve autonomic nervous system regulation and physiological flexibility.
A common version involves inhaling for five seconds and exhaling for five seconds for several minutes.
Guided Breathwork
Research suggests guided breathing exercises may work better for many people than unsupported practice alone. Some individuals find it easier to regulate when another person’s voice provides pacing, structure, and cues to return attention to the body.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
Progressive Muscle Relaxation is one of the most studied body-based interventions for stress and anxiety. Multiple randomized trials and systematic reviews have found PMR helpful for reducing anxiety, stress symptoms, depression symptoms, and sleep difficulties.
Full Body PMR
This exercise involves slowly tensing and releasing muscle groups throughout the body. Someone might start by squeezing their fists for several seconds and then releasing, followed by tightening the shoulders, jaw, legs, or feet. The release phase is often more important than the tension phase because it helps the nervous system notice the difference between activation and relaxation.
Shoulder Release Exercise
Many people carry chronic stress in the upper body. This exercise involves slowly raising the shoulders toward the ears, briefly holding tension, and then letting the shoulders fully drop. Sometimes clients notice they have been subtly holding tension all day without awareness.
Jaw Relaxation
Stress and anxiety commonly show up through jaw clenching. This exercise involves gently tightening the jaw for a few seconds and then fully releasing it while noticing the contrast between tension and softness.
Hands and Forearms Relaxation
For people who work on computers, drive frequently, or hold stress physically throughout the day, slowly squeezing and releasing the hands and forearms can increase awareness of accumulated muscle tension and help reduce physical stress activation.
Mindfulness and Body Scan Practices
Mindfulness-based interventions have substantial research support related to stress reduction, emotional regulation, trauma symptoms, and interoceptive awareness, which refers to the ability to notice internal body sensations.
Body Scan Meditation
Body scan exercises involve slowly bringing attention to different parts of the body without immediately trying to change sensations. Someone might slowly notice sensations in the feet, legs, stomach, chest, shoulders, and face while observing areas of tightness, heaviness, warmth, tingling, or numbness.
The goal is not forcing the body to relax. Instead, it is practicing awareness and increasing tolerance for noticing internal experiences.
5-4-3-2-1 Grounding
This sensory grounding exercise is commonly used clinically for anxiety and dissociation. It involves identifying five things you can see, four things you can physically feel, three things you hear, two things you smell, and one thing you taste. This process can help orient the nervous system back toward the present environment during periods of overwhelm or disconnection.
Mindful Walking
Research increasingly supports movement-based mindfulness for individuals who struggle with traditional still meditation. During mindful walking, someone may focus attention on their feet touching the ground, the movement of their legs, breathing patterns, surrounding sounds, temperature, or visual details in the environment.
For many people, movement feels safer and more accessible than stillness.
Breath and Sensation Tracking
This exercise combines mindfulness with interoceptive awareness by simply noticing physical sensations without immediately labeling them as dangerous or problematic. Someone might observe breathing speed, muscle tightness, warmth, heaviness, heartbeat sensations, or areas of activation while practicing curiosity rather than immediate avoidance.
Mind-Body Movement Programs With Research Support
Research has found several structured movement practices may improve nervous system regulation, anxiety symptoms, emotional wellbeing, PTSD symptoms, and body awareness.
Trauma-Informed Yoga
Trauma-informed yoga has been studied in trauma populations and may help improve emotional regulation, body awareness, stress reduction, and PTSD symptoms. Unlike performance-oriented yoga environments, trauma-informed approaches emphasize pacing, choice, agency, and noticing internal experience over achieving specific poses.
Someone practicing trauma-informed yoga may focus on gentle stretching, breathing, noticing sensations, and experimenting with movement in ways that feel manageable and supportive.
Tai Chi
Tai Chi combines slow rhythmic movement, breathing, and balance. Research has associated Tai Chi with improvements in stress regulation, emotional wellbeing, and nervous system regulation. Many people find the repetitive and predictable pacing calming.
Qigong
Qigong uses repetitive movement patterns paired with breathing and focused attention. Research suggests it may support anxiety reduction, emotional regulation, and stress management. The repetitive nature of the movements can feel grounding for many nervous systems.
Gentle Rhythmic Movement
Repetitive movement itself can sometimes help regulate the nervous system. This might include rocking, swaying, stretching, repetitive walking, or slow pacing. Many people naturally use rhythmic movement during stress without consciously realizing it.
Biofeedback Practices With Research Support
Biofeedback helps people observe physiological stress responses in real time. Research supports several forms of biofeedback for stress reduction and nervous system regulation.
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Biofeedback
HRV biofeedback teaches people how breathing patterns influence nervous system regulation. Research suggests HRV training may improve stress tolerance and autonomic flexibility. Many wearable devices and apps now incorporate forms of HRV tracking.
EMG Muscle Tension Biofeedback
EMG biofeedback measures muscle activation patterns, particularly in areas such as the jaw, shoulders, forehead, or neck. It has been studied for chronic tension, headaches, stress management, and increased awareness of physical activation patterns.
Respiration Monitoring
Some biofeedback systems monitor breathing patterns and help individuals recognize shallow breathing, breath holding, or rapid breathing patterns that often occur during stress or anxiety.
Temperature Biofeedback
Stress frequently changes blood flow and peripheral body temperature, especially in the hands and feet. Temperature biofeedback helps people become more aware of physiological stress responses and learn strategies that support nervous system regulation over time.
Final Thoughts
Research on somatic interventions continues to grow, but the strongest evidence currently exists for slow breathing practices, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness-based interventions, structured mind-body movement programs, and certain forms of biofeedback.
Importantly, evidence-based does not mean universally effective for every person. Some people feel calmer with breathwork, while others initially feel more activated focusing internally. Some individuals regulate better through movement than stillness.
A useful somatic practice is often one that feels tolerable, repeatable, grounding enough, and supportive of increased awareness without overwhelming the nervous system. In many cases, the goal is not immediate calm. The goal is gradually building a different relationship with the body over time.
Continued Reading
Books
Anchored by Deb Dana (2021)
A client-friendly introduction to nervous system regulation, polyvagal theory, and practical ways to understand stress responses through the body. Includes exercises focused on grounding, connection, and autonomic awareness.
The Myth of Normal by Gabor Maté and Daniel Maté (2022)
Explores the relationship between chronic stress, trauma, the nervous system, and physical and emotional health. Helpful for readers interested in understanding how adaptation and survival responses develop over time.
What Happened to You? by Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey (paperback edition 2022)
Focuses on how trauma affects the nervous system and behavior, using a brain- and body-based framework that is accessible for non-clinicians.
Burnout by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski
Discusses stress cycle completion and how physical processes such as movement, breathing, and social connection influence nervous system recovery from chronic stress.
Healing Through the Vagus Nerve by Stanley Rosenberg
Focuses on body-based exercises connected to vagal regulation, breathing, posture, and nervous system calming strategies.
Podcasts
Ten Percent Happier
Episode: “The Science of Breathing” with Richard Brown and Patricia Gerbarg
Covers the research behind breathing techniques and how breath patterns influence stress physiology, anxiety, and emotional regulation.
Episode: “How Trauma Lives in the Body” with Bessel van der Kolk
Discusses trauma, body awareness, nervous system activation, and why body-based approaches are increasingly integrated into trauma treatment.
Huberman Lab
Episode: “Tools for Managing Stress & Anxiety”
Breaks down evidence-based breathing exercises, physiological sighing, stress regulation, and autonomic nervous system functioning in a highly practical format.
Episode: “How to Control Your Sense of Pain & Emotion”
Discusses interoception, nervous system regulation, and body awareness from a neuroscience perspective.
Being Well Podcast
Episode: “Healing Trauma Through the Body”
Explores somatic therapies, nervous system regulation, and practical body-based coping tools.
Episode: “Polyvagal Theory and Feeling Safe”
Discusses how the nervous system responds to cues of safety and threat and how body-based practices may support regulation.
Therapist Uncensored
Episode: “Polyvagal Theory in Everyday Life”
Explains autonomic nervous system states in a practical and accessible way with applications for emotional regulation and relationships.
Episode: “Trauma, Regulation, and the Body”
Focuses on how trauma impacts body awareness and discusses somatic approaches to healing.
Sounds True: Insights at the Edge
Episode: “Deb Dana — Befriending the Nervous System”
A detailed discussion of polyvagal theory, nervous system states, and practical regulation exercises for daily life.
Episode: “Peter Levine — Trauma and the Body”
Discusses somatic experiencing concepts, stress physiology, and how the body stores and processes activation.
References
Balban, M. Y., et al. (2023). Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal. Cell Reports Medicine, 4(1).
Chen, K. W., et al. (2021). Meditative therapies for reducing anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Depression and Anxiety, 38(7).
Creswell, J. D. (2021). Mindfulness interventions. Annual Review of Psychology, 72, 529–554.
Jerath, R., et al. (2022). Physiology of long pranayamic breathing: Neural respiratory elements may provide a mechanism that explains how slow deep breathing shifts the autonomic nervous system. Medical Hypotheses, 168.
Pascoe, M. C., et al. (2021). Psychobiological mechanisms underlying the mood benefits of meditation: A narrative review. Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology, 6.
Sakalidis, V. S., et al. (2024). Breathing interventions for stress and anxiety regulation: A systematic review. Scientific Reports, 14.
Schuver, K. J., & Lewis, B. A. (2022). Mind-body interventions and trauma recovery outcomes: A review of recent evidence. Frontiers in Psychology, 13.
Toussaint, L., et al. (2021). Effectiveness of progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, and guided imagery in promoting psychological and physiological states of relaxation. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
van der Kolk, B. A., et al. (2021). Yoga as an adjunctive treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 82(3).
Zaccaro, A., et al. (2022). How breath-control can change your life: A systematic review on psychophysiological correlates of slow breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 16.
FAQ: Somatic Therapy, Nervous System Regulation, and Body-Based Coping Skills
What are somatic exercises?
Somatic exercises are body-based practices designed to increase awareness of physical sensations, nervous system states, tension patterns, breathing, movement, and emotional activation. These exercises are often used to support stress reduction, emotional regulation, trauma recovery, grounding, and connection between the mind and body.
Examples can include breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, grounding techniques, mindful movement, yoga, biofeedback, and body scan meditations.
How do somatic exercises help regulate the nervous system?
Somatic exercises may help regulate the nervous system by increasing awareness of physical stress responses and helping the body shift out of chronic fight, flight, freeze, or shutdown states. Some exercises support slower breathing, muscle relaxation, orientation to the present environment, or movement patterns that help reduce physiological activation.
Over time, repeated regulation practices may help improve emotional tolerance, stress recovery, and body awareness.
Are somatic exercises evidence-based?
Some somatic practices have stronger research support than others. Current research most strongly supports interventions such as slow breathing exercises, mindfulness-based practices, progressive muscle relaxation, trauma-informed yoga, certain forms of biofeedback, and structured mind-body movement approaches like Tai Chi and Qigong.
Research on trauma-informed somatic therapy continues to grow, although not every intervention has extensive clinical trial data yet.
Can somatic exercises help with anxiety?
Many people use somatic exercises to help manage anxiety symptoms. Research suggests practices such as diaphragmatic breathing, grounding exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness, and HRV biofeedback may help reduce physiological stress activation and improve emotional regulation.
Somatic approaches often focus on helping the body feel safer and more regulated rather than only changing thoughts.
Can somatic practices help with trauma?
Body-based approaches are commonly used in trauma therapy because trauma often affects both the nervous system and the body. Some trauma survivors notice chronic muscle tension, dissociation, hypervigilance, numbness, panic responses, or difficulty feeling present.
Somatic exercises may help increase grounding, body awareness, nervous system flexibility, and tolerance for emotional experiences over time. Many trauma therapists integrate somatic approaches alongside therapies such as EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), CBT, or mindfulness-based interventions.
What is the difference between somatic therapy and mindfulness?
Mindfulness is often one part of somatic work, but somatic therapy is broader. Somatic approaches may include movement, breathing, body awareness, grounding exercises, nervous system education, touch-based interventions, tension release practices, or biofeedback.
Mindfulness usually focuses on present-moment awareness, while somatic therapy more specifically emphasizes the relationship between physical sensations, nervous system states, emotions, and survival responses.
What are examples of grounding exercises for anxiety?
Grounding exercises are designed to help bring attention back to the present moment. Common grounding techniques include:
- the 5-4-3-2-1 sensory exercise
- noticing feet on the floor
- holding a cold object
- orienting to the room visually
- slow breathing
- progressive muscle relaxation
- mindful walking
Many grounding exercises work by increasing sensory awareness and reducing overwhelm.
Can somatic exercises help with dissociation?
Some people who experience dissociation find body-based exercises helpful for increasing present-moment awareness and connection to physical sensations. Practices that involve gentle movement, sensory grounding, orienting to the environment, or noticing physical contact with surfaces may feel more accessible than highly internal meditation practices.
For some individuals, slower pacing and gradual exposure to body awareness are important because certain exercises can initially feel overwhelming.
What is nervous system regulation?
Nervous system regulation refers to the body’s ability to move flexibly between activation and recovery states. A regulated nervous system is not perfectly calm all the time. Instead, regulation often means having greater ability to recover from stress, tolerate emotions, remain present, and respond adaptively to challenges.
Sleep, stress levels, trauma history, movement, relationships, sensory input, and physical health can all influence nervous system regulation.
What are the best somatic exercises for beginners?
Many people start with simple, lower-intensity practices such as:
- extended exhale breathing
- grounding exercises
- progressive muscle relaxation
- mindful walking
- gentle stretching
- orienting to the environment
- hand-on-chest breathing
The most effective exercise is often one that feels manageable, repeatable, and supportive rather than overwhelming.
