The human body is amazing.  However, the amazing body over reacts with long term trauma.  Lilly Hope Lucario calls this Body armoring. https://themighty.com/2017/08/life-impacting-symptoms-of-complex-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/  Your body never relaxes.  Always prepared for the next assault, hence, my body gets tired and sore from all the tension.  Ever noticed that your shoulders are up around your ears or your jaw is constantly clenched?  Do you wake up with your body in pain from all the tension you stored there?  My morning starts I wake up, I move, I hurt, I am still alive time to get up.  Meditation, yoga and other ‘relaxation’ exercises seem impossible because my body is hyper-alert prepared for instant fight or flight.  Imagine for a moment that you are a sprinter, you put your feet in the blocks and you hear “On your Mark, Get SET.”  But Go never happens.  So you muscles sit their quivering like a dog waiting for the stick to be thrown but you have no idea when….all day waiting.  No small wonder that at the end of the day I am exhausted.  Lilly suggests massage and guided muscle relaxation.  I used aroma therapy and warm showers.  Another thing I discovered that after a difficult work out at karate, my muscles are quite happy because it gave them something to do.

Mike Rowe on Facebook Returning the favor shared about Justin Bohannanon.  https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2030307743716903 Built a gym designed to help veterans to exercise.  Wearing a Beat P.T.S.D t-shirt Mike reveals an App that helps find PTSD friendly Gyms.  This is one situation where I recommend what is good for a vet is good for CPTSD too.  https://makeavetsweat.org/

One choice is to find a gym, dojo, or other intense work out system that gives your tense muscles something to do.  Sparring took me 2 years of karate before I participated.  I still have to be careful not to give in to my body’s wish to annihilate and play by the rules.  On more than one occasion, caused a major flashback.  One day I collapsed on the mat and sobbed until there was a puddle of tears.  I finally got up and started working out again.  One of the other participants kindly wiped up my tears.  They let me work through what I was feeling.  When I went to the Sensei to apologize, his answer was amazing, “You have nothing to apologize for.”  Complete and total acceptance is amazing.  He knows nothing about my background but is totally cool with my present challenges with flashbacks from time to time.  I am now working on my Purple Belt and yes I can do the ground work including a diving role.  Nothing like a strong kiai when you punch.  Marathons, ultra-marathons, hiking, walking down the driveway, go as far as you can go then take one step beyond…come back and do it again and again.

Get Moving!