Healing Through Movement: How Exercise Rewires Traumatic and Addictive Memory

Have you ever felt that movement—walking, running, dancing—clears more than just your head? Science now confirms it can actually reprogram your memory.

A groundbreaking study led by researchers at Kyushu University and the University of Toronto followed mice engineered to carry PTSD- or addiction-like memories. When these mice were given access to voluntary exercise—running wheels—something remarkable happened: they began to forget. Their fear disappeared, and their drug-linked memories faded away.

“Neurogenesis is important for forming new memories but also for forgetting memories… disrupting the ability to recall memories.”

— Risako Fujikawa, lead researcher (ScienceDaily, 2024)

The team found that neurogenesis—the birth of new neurons in the hippocampus—was the key. As these fresh cells integrated into the brain’s memory circuits, they weakened or replaced fear-based and addictive memories.

In trauma experiments, mice exposed to electric shocks developed PTSD-like behavior. But after four weeks of physical activity, their anxiety and avoidance responses dropped significantly (Kyushu University, 2024).

In addiction trials, mice trained to associate a specific room with cocaine no longer preferred that space after their neurogenesis was boosted—especially through exercise. While genetic manipulation also helped, exercise had the strongest effect (Molecular Psychiatry, 2024).

“Exercise had the most powerful impact on reducing symptoms of PTSD and drug dependence in mice, and clinical studies in humans also show it is effective.”

— Risako Fujikawa (ScienceDaily)

This isn’t just good news for mice. It opens promising doors for non-invasive, drug-free support for trauma and addiction recovery in humans. As BioTechniques puts it: "We may be looking at the future of gentle, accessible mental health treatment."

At unLimited, we see movement as slow medicine—gentle, accessible, and deeply restorative. It turns out our bodies may know how to heal—if we give them room to move.

Try this:

🌀 Go for a mindful walk today—20 to 30 minutes. Don’t rush. Just move.

 🧠 Notice your thoughts. Your feelings. What shifts?

Feeling inspired?

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🎙️ Tune in to our next unLimited episode, where we talk with a trauma therapist using movement as medicine