Somatic exercises focus on mindful body movements which improve physical function addressing the relationship between your body and mind. Practicing somatic exercises is more about feeling each movement of your body rather than focusing on a specific health goal. In this article, we will learn more about somatic exercises, their health benefits, and their types, and see if one can use somatic exercises for weight loss.
The word “somatic” comes from a Greek word called “Soma” which means body. These exercises make you aware of your body movements and how you feel when you are mindfully moving your body.
How do somatic exercises work?
Somatic exercises are therapeutic which creates awareness regarding your own body and helps to release chronic muscle tension, improve posture, and enhance overall well-being. They are often used to address pain, stress, and movement limitations.
We are now going to discuss some key aspects of somatic exercises:
Mindfulness:
Somatic exercises help you to practice mindfulness because you are encouraged to pay attention to every movement of your body. Such keen attention can help you to become aware of your body and how it works. It connects your mind and body together so you can feel every movement.
While practicing somatic exercising, let’s say if you are moving your arm, you will not move it just for the sake of it, rather you will pay attention to the movement of your shoulder, elbow, and wrist. You will notice muscles strengthening and contracting while they move and how your skin feels when in movement.
Slow and controlled movement:
Somatic exercises encourage you to move slowly and gently. That way you will pay attention to the details about your body movements and how you feel with each movement.
Slow movements help in reducing the risk of injury that people often experience while exercising because they are not paying attention to the body but to their fitness goals.
People who practice somatic exercises can make adjustments if something feels uncomfortable.
Releasing tension:
Somatic exercises are the best way to release stress and tension that we carry in our muscles without realizing it. By mindful body movements, you can identify and release this tension.
When you are aware of your body movements you can deliberately relax your muscles because you have an idea that something does not fit right.
For example, if you notice that your shoulders are tense and lifted towards your ears you can willingly and consciously relax your shoulders and release the tension in the shoulder muscles.
Awareness and sensation:
If you are doing a slow and gentle stretch, you will pay close attention to how your body moves and how you feel about the movement. You will notice different sensations during the movement like a stiff joint, a tight muscle, or something that feels really good. This is how you become aware of the sensations in your body by practicing somatic exercises. Awareness can help you fix problems your body faces while moving.
Breath integration:
While practicing somatic exercises you need to focus on your breathing. Breathing is crucial in somatic exercises because taking deep, slow breaths while stretching or moving makes you feel relaxed. This way you will also practice deep breathing which helps you to calm down and reduce stress.
Holistic approach:
Somatic exercises are considered a holistic approach towards your body. This means that while indulging in somatic exercises, you are considering your whole body. You feel tired and grumpy. It could be the result of sitting in a weird position all day. Somatic exercises help you recognize that everything is connected and by indulging in such exercises you will improve your mental and emotional well-being as well.
Health benefits of somatic exercises
Somatic exercises offer numerous health benefits because they connect your mind and body by creating awareness of body movements. Here are some key benefits of somatic exercises for health:
Pain relief:
Somatic exercises help release muscle tension and address dysfunctional movement patterns. This helps to alleviate chronic pain.
You will also get relief from chronic muscle tightness and spasms by focusing on gentle movements and awareness.
Improved posture and alignment:
Somatic exercises help to fix your posture because you are more aware of your body movements. Somatic exercises help to prevent issues related to back and neck pain that people experience often.
Somatic exercises enhance alignment which can in turn help to reduce strain on muscles and joints leading to overall efficiency of body movement.
Stress reduction:
The mindfulness that you practice while indulging in somatic exercise helps to promote relaxation and reduces stress levels.
Breathing while somatic exercising will also help to keep you calm and eventually manage your stress levels and nervous system.
Increased flexibility and mobility:
By practicing somatic exercises you will experience improvements in flexibility because of gentle stretching and controlled movements.
Regular practice can help with joint mobility and overall range of motion.
Enhanced coordination and balance:
Somatic exercises help to create awareness regarding your body positions and movement-enhancing coordination.
This will further enhance alignment contributing to better balance and stability.
Mental and emotional well-being:
When your mind and body are connected you will make more conscious choices and you will experience an improved emotional well-being and a greater sense of inner calm.
Somatic exercises help to reduce physical tension and stress which can impact your body positively and overall health.
Injury prevention and rehabilitation:
With time your body will get used to the movements and can create more awareness related to the sensations which will lead to practicing safe movement patterns that can prevent injuries and aid in rehabilitation.
Better sleep:
Somatic exercises are helpful in making you feel calm and relaxed by also curbing your stress. This will contribute to improved sleep quality.
Releasing physical tension before sleep can help you get more rest while sleeping.
Somatic exercise for weight loss
Somatic exercises are more about focusing on mindful exercises that connect your mind and body and do not focus on a particular fitness goal. Somatic exercises are not like the typical high-intensity or calorie-burning workouts, which is why they do not directly contribute to weight loss. They help to improve your lifestyle which could also impact your weight loss journey in a positive way.
Here are some ways in which somatic exercises play a supporting role in weight loss:
Improved body awareness:
Somatic exercises help to create body-mind awareness which can also encourage you to develop mindful eating habits. Being more aware of your food choices can help you to reduce weight by decreasing your calorie intake.
Since you will be calm and relaxed if you practice somatic exercises, you will not tend to indulge yourself in emotional eating that could lead to more calorie intake.
Reduced stress levels:
Somatic exercises lead to a decrease in the production of stress hormones, especially cortisol which is also associated with increased appetite and fat storage. Mindful movement of the body promotes relaxation and reduces stress which eventually reduces stress-induced weight gain.
Efficient movement:
Somatic exercises help to prevent injury because they improve posture, alignment, and movement patterns. Such movements allow a person to stay active and engage in other forms of activities that will support weight loss without being injured.
By indulging in somatic exercises you will experience overall movement efficiency to help reduce pain. This will also encourage people to engage in regular exercises to burn more calories for weight loss.
Better sleep quality:
Somatic exercises promote sleep quality because they make you feel relaxed and reduce physical tension. Better sleep quality is crucial for weight loss to disrupt hunger hormones and suppress appetite.
Holistic health approach:
In order to lose weight you need a healthy lifestyle that aids in weight management. Somatic exercises help you to take a more balanced approach towards health and wellness. The holistic approach to health supports effective weight management by addressing multiple factors that influence weight.
Common forms of somatic exercise include:
- Feldenkrais Method: thorugh gentel, exploratary movements and awareness, feldenkrais method focus on imporving moving patterns.
- Hanna Somatics: It involves exercises that help release muscle tension and improve overall function by retaining the brain and nervous system.
- Alexander Technique: Alexander’s techniques improve posture and movement efficiency. you will focus on controlled body movements leading to awareness and increased awareness.
- Body-Mind Centering: These exercises combine movement, touch, and awareness to explore the connection between different body systems which results in an enhanced quality of overall movement.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the difference between yoga and somatic exercises?
Ans. Yoga is taught as the asanas and instructors make sure the students learn the perfect alignment of the clearly defined asanas. On the other hand, somatic exercises are more about feeling every movement in the body. You trust yourself in somatic exercises that influence your movement of the body rather than forcing yourself to achieve one perfect asana. Though yoga could be a part of somatic exercises, somatic itself is an umbrella term.
Is yoga somatic therapy?
Ans. Yoga is indeed a somatic therapy but is taught in such a way that one has to follow the instructions which distracts us from the main purpose of somatic exercises which is to feel the movement and be aware of what our body feels.
How long should you do somatic exercises?
Ans. You can try somatic exercises for 5-15 minutes in a day. Start small and once your body will recognise the pattern, you can increase the time as well.
