It has long been known that our body plays a major role in communicating threat. The ‘survival response’ of the autonomic nervous system enables us to feel ‘symptoms’ such as increased heart rate and breathing rate, signalling that we are ready to face a threat.
For individuals who experience a traumatic event or chronic exposure to stress or trauma, the body may begin to perceive threats where there are no known credible threats. Unfortunately, for many people, where exercise has helped manage stress previously, following trauma, it may add to the survival response resulting in feelings of freezing up, getting overwhelmed, zoning out, or pushing yourself too hard
These responses are often called the ‘5 Fs of trauma’: Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn, and Flop.
As an Exercise Physiologist, our goal isn’t just to guide you through exercises during our consultations. It’s to give you the tools and understanding you need to move safely, confidently, and independently through movement. In trauma informed care, understanding these survival responses or mechanisms, are vital for long-term health management and adoption or resumption of an active life.
The information provided may assist you in recognising the 5 F’s in yourself, and what you can do to regulate and stay connected during movement on your own and into the future.
What Are the 5 Fs?
These are automatic protective responses from your nervous system that kick in when you feel unsafe. Trauma, especially when it’s chronic or unresolved, can lower your threshold for feeling overwhelmed, even in situations that seem safe to others. You may have heard this referred to as a reduction in your ‘Window of Tolerance’.
Each F response is valid. Each one tells us something about what your body needs in that moment.
1. Fight – “I feel unsafe, so I need to take control.”
You might feel agitated, tense, or angry. It can be at your body, the exercise, or even just the situation. You might try to push through a movement that feels wrong or unsafe because you’re frustrated or feel like you should be able to do it.
What to look for in yourself:
- Tension in the jaw, fists, or shoulders
- Short, shallow breathing
- A strong urge to push past limits
- Self-criticism or irritability
What to do:
- Pause and notice where the tension is.
- Breathe into your belly, slowly and deeply.
- Ask yourself: Am I moving to help myself, or am I forcing myself?
- Choose a gentler version of the exercise—or stop altogether.
2. Flight – “I need to get out of here.”
This might show up as cancelling or not showing for appointments, avoiding specific exercises, or mentally checking out during movement. It’s your system trying to escape a perceived threat, even if the threat is internal and not evident.
What to look for:
- Restlessness, bouncing from task to task
- Avoiding certain movements without knowing why
- Feeling overwhelmed by the idea of exercise
- Zoning out mid-session
What to do:
- Ground yourself with sensory input: notice your feet, your breath, or the feel of the floor.
- Try a slower-paced, simpler movement.
- Reassure your body: I’m safe, I can slow down.
3. Freeze – “I’m overwhelmed, so I’ll stop everything.”
This is when your body (and brain) feel stuck. You might want to move but feel like you physically cannot. It can be frustrating, but it’s also a sign your nervous system is maxed out.
What to look for:
- A feeling of being “frozen” or blank
- Difficulty initiating movement
- Mental fog, forgetfulness
- Feeling disconnected from your body
What to do:
- Try small, rhythmic movements like tapping your feet or swaying.
- Use gentle cues: Just start with one rep, then see.
- Remind yourself: It’s ok to have a break, my body will kick start again.
4. Fawn – “If I please everyone, I’ll be safe.”
You might find yourself pushing through discomfort or pain so you don’t let someone down, often that someone could be your practitioner. You may feel guilty for resting or modifying your activity. This is your system trying to stay safe by avoiding conflict.
What to look for:
- Ignoring pain or discomfort
- Always saying “I’m fine,” even when you’re not
- Overworking in your sessions
- Feeling anxious when changing your routine
What to do:
- Ask yourself: Am I doing this because it feels good for me, or because I think I should?
- Practice saying “no” or “not today” to certain exercises.
- Give yourself permission to rest, modify, or skip without guilt.
5. Flop – “Everything shuts down.”
This is the deepest shutdown response. You might feel like giving up, feel heavy or numb (often described as walking through wet cement), or go through the motions without really being present. It often happens after your system has tried fight, flight, and freeze without relief.
What to look for:
- Extreme fatigue, apathy or passivity
- Feeling distant or numb during movement
- Disconnected body awareness
- A sense of collapse or “what’s the point?”
What to do:
- Ground yourself: lie down with your hands on your chest and belly and feel your breath.
- Try gentle, sensory-based movement, like rocking, hugging your knees, tapping your muscles.
- Keep the goal simple: Feel your body. Move away from Flop
How to Use This Knowledge for Self-Regulation
Once you learn to notice these responses, you can adjust your movement practice in real time, without needing someone else to tell you what to do. That’s self-regulation and a primary objective during our intervention.
Here’s a simple checklist to guide your practice:
Before you move
- How do I feel emotionally and physically?
- Do I feel safe enough to start? If not, what might help me move to a safer state?
- What kind of movement does my body need today—gentle, grounding, energizing, stillness?
During your movement
- Am I breathing?
- Am I present with the sensation in my body?
- Am I staying within my comfort and tolerance zone?
- Is this heightening my survival response? Am I feeling more anxious? Overwhelmed? Agitated?
- Is the intensity of the movement matched to the intensity of my physiological response?
If something feels “off”
- Pause. Don’t push.
- Name what you’re feeling (e.g., “I feel frozen” or “I’m getting frustrated”).
- Choose a regulation tool: breathing, grounding, modifying, or stopping altogether.
Afterward
- Reflect: What helped me feel connected? What didn’t?
- Celebrate that you showed up, no matter how it went.
- Discuss with your Exercise Physiologist or psychologist to understand what may have happened.
- Ensure that you and your Exercise Physiologist work together to explore varied movement approaches so that you can have focus areas of movement based on what state you are in at the time.
This takes effort and self-reflection but you can do this!
Understanding the 5 Fs is like learning the language your nervous system speaks. Once you recognize what your body is telling you, you gain the power to make more effective movement choices, not just during rehab, but in all areas of movement and life.
Developing this understanding means that you do not have to rely on your Exercise Physiologists to tell you what to do. You will be able to manage your movement programs and become your own guide to move with awareness, self-trust, and compassion.
Start small. Be curious, not judgmental. And remember: you’re not “starting over” every time you pause, you’re just listening to the messages of your body and learning how to manage for greater long-term movement success.
If you have had chronic stress, or experienced trauma and your approach to exercise has had limited success, drop Body Dynamics Illawarra a line and we can have a discussion to see if this approach might be something that helps you.
