Influence of exercise and physical activity on the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder: a qualitative study

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnoses are on the rise yet there is a lack of research on alternative methods of treatments. Exercise and physical activity have proven to assist in the treatment of depression and anxiety (Dunn et al., 2005) and due to similarities in symptoms, may be applicable to PTSD. To date, no study has been conducted interviewing individuals with PTSD about their present and past exercise habits and how these have affected their symptoms. The purpose of the present study was to document different approaches to exercise and physical activity for individuals with PTSD and how exercise can ameliorate their associated symptoms. Participants were recruited through social media, flyers, and word of mouth. Ten participants, with self-reported PTSD, were then interviewed about their exercise and physical activity habits and how it affects their symptoms. Findings included one theme labeled health and two categories labeled exercise and coping strategies. In addition to these findings, a theoretical framework for exercise programming for this population was created. All participants reported exercise/physical activity helped lessen the severity of their symptoms associated with PTSD.