If you’ve seen the latest workout apps about somatic exercise, you may wonder what it is and whether it can help improve your well-being. You can do this movement anywhere and benefit from cultivating a deeper mind-body connection that eases frazzled nerves and calms your daily stress. 

Learn how, where and why to start your somatic workout routines and show up for yourself today. 

What Is a Somatic Workout?

Somatic workouts help you connect with your body through intentional movement, breath and awareness. Unlike traditional exercise, which focuses on building strength and endurance, this exercise prioritizes how the movement feels rather than how it looks. These practices help release stored tension, improve emotional regulation and foster a sense of inner balance. 

Stress, trauma and anxiety have physical symptoms and often manifest in the body. Somatic workouts provide a way to address these physical responses, making them a valuable tool for mental health and overall well-being. 

When you engage in frequent self-care workout routines, you may experience dramatic emotional releases as your body lets go of stored negativity and pain. You may shake, weep or feel ill as you go through the exercises, so moving slowly and listening to your body is essential. Unlike regular fitness routines, these movements mobilize you and activate your inner self, which can be overwhelming when you start. 

How to Start With Somatic Exercises at Home

Luckily, you don’t need a gym or any special equipment to begin practicing somatic exercise. The key is to create a quiet space where you can tune into your body without distractions. 

• Start with breathwork: Deep, slow breathing signals safety to your nervous system. Breathing slowly helps you calm down when you experience a panic attack. This is how you shift from stress mode to relaxation. 
• Move gently: Avoid forcing movements. Let your body guide you rather than the other way around. If you want to lean left, let yourself do it. Your physical self will seek ways to express what it’s feeling, so allow it. 
• Be mindful: Pay attention to the sensations you feel while moving. If something feels good, lean into it. If it feels uncomfortable, adjust, pull back or pause. 
• Practice regularly: Small, daily installments of 5-10 minutes can make a big difference. 

Getting the Most Out of Somatic Exercises

You should practice consistency and presence to get the most from your workouts. Treat it as an act of self-care rather than something to tick off your to-do list. Try to:

• Go slow: Rushing through the movements won’t help your nervous system unwind. Move at a pace that allows you to notice subtle shifts in your body and how you feel. 
• Pair it with breathwork: Deep breathing enhances the effects of somatic movement, reinforcing relaxation and physical awareness. 
• Practice self-compassion: Some days will feel easier than others, so be kind to yourself and give yourself the grace of understanding. Remember, progress isn’t always linear. 
• Stay curious: Approach your practice with an open mind. Notice how different movements affect your mood, stress responses and energy levels. 

Benefits of Somatic Workouts

You’ll experience multiple benefits from this work, including physical, emotional and mental health improvements. 

• Reduced stress and anxiety: Mindful movement engages your thoughts and lowers cortisol, the stress hormone, which helps your body process trauma better. 
• Enhanced emotional regulation: Because you are not so stressed, you can tune into yourself more and understand what you feel when you feel it. 
• Improved posture and mobility: Somatic work releases tension patterns in your spine and shoulders, helping to eliminate hunching and other alignment issues. 
• Support and trauma healing: Your body stores trauma as a physical reaction. Deep emotive movement work releases it by creating a safe way to process physiological experiences. 
• Improved mind-body connection: Regular practice deepens your sense of awareness and builds the control you have over your physical and emotional states. 

Best Somatic Exercise List

Any movement can become somatic if you do it with intention and pay attention to what your body and emotions tell you. Here are some popular ways to attain a mindful movement workout release. 

1. Mindful Stretching

Mindful stretching involves slow, intentional movements that promote flexibility and relaxation. It’s not about pushing your limits but about feeling your body’s natural range of motion and observing where you may feel stuck. 

How to do it: 

• In a quiet space, take a few deep breaths to center yourself.
• Slowly stretch different muscle groups, focusing on the sensations rather than the intensity. 
• Hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds while breathing deeply and steadily. 

What you may experience: As your mind calms, you may become aware of increased circulation and a slow release of negative energy or trauma. 

2. Yoga

The classic movements of Yoga combine movement, breath and stillness to enhance well-being. It’s widely known that different yoga postures help reduce stress and improve flexibility. 

How to do it: 

• Begin with a gentle style like Hatha or Yin yoga. 
• Follow your own pace through poses, syncing breath with each movement. 
• Follow the feel, not perfection. 

What you may experience: Gradual reduction of muscle tension, with improved focus and emotional balance.

3. Vocal Relaxation and Resonance

Your voice and vocal cords pass near the vagus nerve, which is activated by vibrations when speaking and humming. When the vagus nerve functions more effectively, it helps regulate stress responses and connect the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. 

How to do it:

• Take a deep breath and hum for several seconds.
• Experiment with different sounds, like “mmm” or “ahhh” or “ohm.”
• Become aware of how the vibrations affect your chest, throat and head.

What you may experience: The vibrations generate a soothing sensation, trigger an emotional release and activate deeper breathing. 

4. Tai Chi

The traditional art of Tai Chi is a slow movement rooted in Chinese martial arts. Practitioners report feeling enhanced coordination and inner calm.

How to do it:

• Keep your knees and arms soft and relaxed, as if standing in water. 
• Slowly move through the different postures, shifting your weight from one foot to the next.
• Maintain steady, controlled breathing. 

What you may experience: You may feel quiet and meditative with improved balance and a deep feeling of groundedness. 

5. Meditative Movement

Meditation isn’t only done in seated form. You an also move in meditation, which is highly beneficial to somatic work. This freeform approach is when you let your body move of its own instincts to soft music or while outside in a park and listening to nature. 

How to do it:

• Find a safe and quiet space, as you may want to close your eyes while moving. 
• Play some soothing music or enjoy silence.
• Attune to your body and let it begin moving without judgment.

What you may experience: Emotional expression, increased physical awareness and a gradual or sudden release of pent-up energy. 

6. Touch Connection

The skin is loaded with touch receptors, and the human hand alone contains over 100,000, so your body is always aware of what’s touching it and where. A gentle and kind touch can calm the nervous system, increasing a sense of safety. Self-touch, such as laying your hand over your heart or gently hugging yourself, may be the best way to experience this. Massage is another fantastic way to stimulate a somatic experience. 

How to do it:

• Rest your hands on an area of tension. Simply rest and avoid applying any pressure. Think of it like a butterfly landing on you.
• Now gently apply the lightest pressure possible in small circular motions or softly tap your body like your fingers are butterfly wings.
• Breathe deeply and notice any changes in sensations.

What you may experience: Like a baby calms when their mother taps them, you may feel comfort, muscle tension reduction and deep emotional grounding. 

7. Grounding

Grounding is popular with good reason. Connecting your bare skin to the earth’s magnetic fields is powerful and reconnects you with yourself in ways that science can’t quite explain yet. 

How to do it:

• Walk barefoot on grass or a soft surface like loose sand.
• Sit or lie down and focus on all the points you connect to the ground. 
• Imagine your body being drawn toward the earth by gravity, yourself melting into the ground like soft chocolate, becoming one with the land.

What you may experience: Increased stability, a sense of security and belonging and reduced stress. 

Mindfully You

Somatic workouts are more than just exercises — they’re a way to nurture yourself, build resilience and reconnect with your body. Whether practicing mindful stretching in the morning, humming to release tension or taking a few moments to ground yourself in the garden, every small step adds up. 

By tuning into how you move and breathe, you cultivate a sense of safety, awareness and self-trust. Over time, this deep connection can transform how you handle stress and trauma, process emotions and show up for yourself daily.