When stress hits, the usual advice—yoga, meditation, deep breathing—doesn’t work for everyone. If “om” makes you cringe, try these 10 science-backed activities, from belly dancing to chess, that reset your nervous system in surprising ways.

Radical times call for radical coping mechanisms. Forget yoga, Pilates, and those “conscious” walks. Let’s talk about the activities that really help your body and mind process stress and trauma.

A few years ago, I hit a wall. Call it burnout, call it depression—my functional medicine doctor called it “adrenal fatigue” (traditional doctors roll their eyes at that one). Whatever the label, all I wanted to do was lie in bed and cry. But as a coach, I knew it was not an option.

My logic: I needed to move, but my energy—physical and emotional—was running on fumes. Therefore, the activity had to be moderate, enjoyable, and social with others. My choice? Ping pong.

Sounds random, but it was perfect. Table tennis is often overlooked as a stress reliever, but research suggests it enhances mental and cardiovascular health in individuals with spinal injuries and supports cognitive development in teens. My “intuitive” pick turned out to have legit science behind it.

We’re often advised to manage stress through yoga, breathwork, and meditation. Love them, but as psychiatrist Dave Rabin told me, “People with chronic pain, PTSD, or depression don’t always do well with these practices, because their bodies are constantly in stress mode—and being fully present in that body can feel unbearable.”

So if the sound of “om” makes you cringe, here are some less-obvious, body-first ways to move stress out of your system.

How Stress Gets Stuck in the Body

Bessel van der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score should be required reading. His core point: trauma isn’t just in your head—it’s in your body. Trauma happens when your system no longer feels safe. The way back to safety? Through the body itself.

Nervous system experts, such as Irene Lyon, explain it this way: when something overwhelming happens—fear, pain, or helplessness—the body becomes “stuck” in an unfinished stress response. It’s not about how bad the situation was “objectively,” but how it felt in the moment. If you couldn’t fight back or run away, your stress cycle stayed open. That unfinished loop keeps you in survival mode, affecting everything: health, emotions, behavior, self-worth.

The four classic stress responses (the “4 Fs”):

• Fight — anger, control, hyperactivation
• Flight — anxiety, perfectionism, restlessness
• Freeze — numbness, disconnection, depression
• Fawn — people-pleasing, blurred boundaries, over-empathy

Managing stress isn’t about forcing out emotions. It’s about noticing what’s happening in your body and gently completing that stress cycle through movement.

Strength Training

If you’re still avoiding the weight rack, consider this your sign to get started. Building muscle is longevity magic.

Why it works:

• Releases pent-up energy through lifts and pushes
• Tells your brain: “I’m alive, moving, in control”
• Balances cortisol levels
• Boosts neuroplasticity (thanks to BDNF)
• Increases dopamine and serotonin—especially in the part of your brain that shuts down during stress
• Forces you into mindful focus: breath, body, numbers
• Powers up mitochondria (aka your resilience batteries)
• Stabilizes blood sugar—a big deal, since glucose spikes are linked to anxiety and irritability

Pro tip: Real strength training isn’t 1-pound pink dumbbells. Think pulls, presses, lifts. However, don’t go overboard: two to three sessions a week, each lasting 30 minutes, is plenty. Wrap it up before 5 p.m. so you’re not revved up all night.

Swimming

Long before we were born, we knew water meant safety and love. Floating still hits that primal reset button.

Why it works:

• Water pressure on your skin mimics a soothing touch and a gentle hug.
• Triggers oxytocin (the “bonding hormone”)—which, for women in particular, is a powerful cortisol-calmer and stress regulator
• Activates the parasympathetic nervous system, the one that brings on deep relaxation
• Boosts estrogen, which in turn makes your body more sensitive to oxytocin—a recovery loop

Pro tip: Swimming works for even the most stressed-out nervous systems. Just keep the water warm enough, especially in the second half of your cycle.

Dancing

Animals literally shake off trauma after freezing in fear. Humans? We override the shake with our overthinking brains—so the fear stays lodged in the body.

And for women, “freeze” is often socially rewarded: we’re expected to stay calm, composed, unbothered. On the outside, we look fine; inside, it’s a different story.

Dance is one way back. Whether it’s belly dancing with coin belts, samba, hip-hop, or even twerking, shaking, and rhythm, these activities reset the system.

Why it works:

• Dance predates language as a way to connect, regulate, and express emotions
• Shaking movements help “unfreeze” the body and release stuck stress
• Group or partner dance raises oxytocin through eye contact and synchronicity
• Rhythmic movement tells your brain: “danger’s over,” so recovery can start

Pro tip: The deeper your stress, the gentler your moves. Shaking can open emotional floodgates, so choose safe spaces and surround yourself with supportive people. Partner dancing can raise oxytocin—but if you’ve experienced trauma, touch may feel more triggering than healing.

Martial Arts

Aikido, karate, capoeira, krav maga, boxing—pick your style. Research backs them all as serious stress-busters. One 2011 study found that women in self-defense training gained significant confidence and resilience.

Why it works:

• Puts your body through a controlled stress cycle—then brings you back to calm
• Trains your nervous system to turn stress on and off
• Lowers cortisol, raises endorphins, dopamine, serotonin
• Builds body awareness and mind-body connection
• Rituals (like bowing or breathwork) bring rhythm and safety
• As van der Kolk says, martial arts are a “natural way to restore agency in the body”

Pro tip: Choose your school wisely. A screaming coach who humiliates students? Not it. Look for classes that end with a calming ritual—your nervous system needs that closure.

Chess

Yes, chess. And don’t tell me it’s not a sport. It’s a mental workout and a stress stabilizer—especially for anxious overthinkers.

Why it works:

• Reactivates the prefrontal cortex, which goes offline in stress
• Trains focus, planning, and impulse control
• Creates flow, pulling you out of worry loops
• Partner games boost oxytocin, just like dance or sparring

Pro tip: Chess isn’t a replacement for body practices. It can get addictive (hello, online blitz matches), so pair it with grounding rituals like stretching or breathwork.

Bonus Round

• Horseback riding — full-body workout plus an oxytocin hit
• Dog sports (agility, canicross, obedience)—stress relief for you and your pup
• Archery or shooting — demands breath control and sharp body focus
• Skateboarding & surfing — restore balance, breath awareness, and play

References

1. Para-table tennis and health in adults with spinal cord injury (SCI). NeuroRehabilitation (2024): improved mental state, HRV, and cardiovascular health.
2. Acute and chronic effects of table tennis on autonomic nervous system in tetraplegia. Sensors (2024).
3. Table tennis, mindfulness, and resilience in youth: experimental data. Kıbrıs Türk Psikiyatri ve Psikoloji Dergisi (2025).
4. Martial arts and mental health in adults: systematic review. Aggression and Violent Behavior (2023).
5. Martial arts and neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine). Includes studies on karate and 5HTTLPR variants.
6. Hydrotherapy in labor: anxiety and stress hormones. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing / NIH reports.
7. Warm/cold water immersion: autonomic and cardiovascular effects. Review (2019) and cold exposure experiments (2024).
8. Safety and subjective effects of water immersion/birth: cohort and meta-analyses. BMJ Open (2020), Cochrane Review (2018), Am J Obstet Gynecol (2024), J. Clin. Med. (2023).