When we talk about bereavement, we tend to focus on the emotional pain, the memory, the longing, the loss itself. But in my daily encounters with bereaved families, it becomes clear again and again that grief does not remain only in the heart. It is very present in the body as well: in ongoing fatigue, muscle tension, sleep difficulties, and a sense of alertness that does not let go.
This is not a random feeling. Current research indicates that grief is also a physical process, in which the body’s mechanisms for managing stress operate over time and affect a range of systems. Therefore, alongside emotional and therapeutic discussion, there has been a growing understanding in recent years that movement and physical activity play a meaningful role in coping with loss.
From clinical experience and encounters with bereaved families, we have seen how widespread this is in practice. People do not always come to physical activity because they are interested in sports for recreation, but because of a more basic need: to find a moment to breathe. For example, a bereaved parent who joins a yoga class is not necessarily looking for physical strengthening, but for a place where it is possible to let go a little. Young people who have lost someone close to them join running groups not in order to improve performance, but to allow themselves to be in motion even when their emotions feel stuck.
The meaning of physical activity in such situations is broader than its physical impact. First, it helps with emotional regulation: reducing tension, improving mood, and easing the feeling of overwhelm. Beyond that, it allows for a nonverbal processing of pain. For many people, especially in the early stages of grief, it is very difficult to talk about what happened. Movement creates a space in which it is possible to feel without being required to explain.
Another important aspect is the sense of control. Loss undermines a person’s sense of stability and often leaves behind a deep experience of helplessness. Within that reality, the very act of getting up, going out, and being in motion gradually restores a sense of capability. It is a small action, but one with a significant impact on rehabilitation.
Over time, movement also allows a person to rebuild parts of their identity. Alongside the identity that was harmed by the loss, additional identities are added: someone who exercises, someone who is part of a group, someone who continues to act. Not instead of the grief, but alongside it.
And finally, there is also the social component. Group activity creates a sense of belonging that does not depend on talking about the loss. The possibility of being with others, even without explaining or sharing, reduces to some extent the loneliness that accompanies many mourners.
It is important to note that physical activity is not a solution to bereavement; it does not “heal” the pain. But it can change the way we carry it. It allows a person to be in motion even during a period that feels frozen, and to find a renewed connection to the body and to life itself. Sometimes, within the reality of loss, the first step forward begins with a simple step of movement.
Mordechai Ben Ari is the Clinical Director of OneFamily