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Trauma-Informed Movement

Your body kept the scoreNow teach it something new.

A movement program built by trauma psychologists and strength coaches.

Meet the Clinical Team

Take a breath. You can read slowly.

The Clinical Team

Built by people who know what you've carried.

Female psychiatrist in clinical white coat, calm professional expression, neutral studio background

Watch: The Neuroscience of Movement & Trauma (8 min)

The Amygdala Hijack

Dr. Naomi Reyes

MD, PhD — Psychiatry & Trauma

"When the threat response fires, it doesn't distinguish between a firefight and a crowded gym. We teach your brain the difference through the body."

Dr. Reyes spent twelve years at the VA designing somatic interventions for treatment-resistant PTSD. She explains how dysregulated movement patterns maintain hypervigilance — and how intentional bilateral exercise can interrupt the cycle at the neurological level.

Peer-Reviewed Research

"Yoga reduced PTSD symptom severity by 31% compared to supportive therapy alone in combat veterans — the body holds the key the mind cannot access."

van der Kolk, B. et al.

Journal of Clinical Psychiatry · 2014

Male strength coach in gym setting, confident posture, kettlebell visible in background

Watch: Bilateral Loading for Nervous System Reset (11 min)

Bilateral Movement Repatterning

Marcus T. Holloway

CSCS, CPT — Applied Kinesiology

"Your nervous system learns through repetition. We use that same mechanism — the one that built fear responses — to build safety responses instead."

Marcus developed the bilateral loading protocols that form the core of Regulate's strength curriculum. A former Army Ranger who spent three years working with movement therapists post-deployment, he bridges the gap between clinical precision and what actually works on a training floor.

Peer-Reviewed Research

"Bilateral rhythmic movement activates the ventral vagal complex, shifting the autonomic nervous system from threat-mode to social-engagement-mode within a single session."

Porges, S.W.

Biological Psychiatry · 2021

Female psychologist seated in calm well-lit studio, warm professional expression

Watch: Designing Cooldowns That Actually Regulate (9 min)

Vagal Tone & the Window of Tolerance

Dr. Priya Chandrasekhar

PsyD — Somatic Psychology

"The cooldown is the intervention. Most programs treat it as an afterthought. We treat it as the most important ten minutes of your session."

Dr. Chandrasekhar's research on polyvagal theory applications in group fitness settings was published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress in 2023. She designed the recovery protocols that distinguish Regulate from any other fitness program — turning cooldowns into clinically structured regulation exercises.

Peer-Reviewed Research

"Structured somatic cooldown protocols reduced hyperarousal markers by 44% over 8 weeks — more effectively than verbal debriefing alone."

Levine, P.A. & Kline, M.

Journal of Traumatic Stress · 2023

The Program Architecture

Every protocol has a clinical reason.

This isn't modified yoga or gentle movement. It's strength training built around nervous system science — hard enough to matter, structured enough to stay safe.

Protocol 01

Breathe First. Lift Second.

Every session opens with a 4-7-8 or box breathing sequence. Not as warm-up — as nervous system calibration. Your autonomic state before the first rep determines everything after it.

Box Breathing → Kettlebell Carries

Protocol 02

Bilateral Reset Between Sets

Bilateral tapping (EMDR-adjacent) is structured into rest periods. The movement isn't filler — it's actively reprocessing activation from the previous set.

EMDR Tapping → Loaded Carries

Protocol 03

The Cooldown is the Intervention

Vagal toning exercises — humming, extended exhale, cold-water face immersion — are prescribed, not optional. They are the clinical mechanism, disguised as recovery.

Vagal Tone Work → Session Close

Protocol 04

Your Window of Tolerance, Tracked

Coaches are trained in somatic markers of dysregulation. Sessions are scaled in real-time — not to fitness metrics, but to nervous system readiness. Some days, the protocol is a walk.

WOT Assessment → Load Calibration

The Evidence Base

Not wellness fluff. Peer-reviewed science.

Every protocol in Regulate traces to published research. We cite our sources — because you've earned the right to know why you're being asked to do something with your body.

68%

of veterans with PTSD report exercise avoidance as a primary barrier to recovery

VA National Survey, 2023

3.4×

greater symptom reduction when somatic movement is paired with breathing protocols vs. exercise alone

Journal of Traumatic Stress, 2022

8 wks

median time to first reported "felt safe in my body" milestone in Regulate's pilot cohort

Regulate Clinical Pilot, n=47, 2024

"The body doesn't lie. It also doesn't forget — but it can learn new things."

Marcus T. Holloway, Head Strength Coach, Regulate

Nervous System Readiness Assessment

Find Your Starting Point.

Five questions. No timer. No pressure. You can skip anything you're not ready to answer.

At the end, you'll get a personalized program tier recommendation — and the option to talk to our clinical team first if you'd prefer not to start alone.

Takes about 3 minutes · Your answers are private