Healing Strides: The Effectiveness of a Combined Grief Group Counseling and 5K Race Training Intervention on Grief-Related Symptoms

Grief is a widespread issue that negatively impacts millions of people each year, necessitating effective grief interventions. Both grief counseling and physical activity have demonstrated benefits for individuals experiencing grief. However, integrating these interventions creates a multidimensional approach that addresses the complexity of grief more holistically. Healing Strides builds upon this concept by combining structured grief counseling with 5K race training. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the impact of the Healing Strides combined grief group counseling and 5K race training intervention on women’s grief-related symptoms and overall well-being. Results post-intervention and at three-month follow-up demonstrated statistically significant increases in grief-related personal growth, coping strategies, and meaning reconstruction as well as statistically significant decreases in grief impairment. This research supports the development of programs that thoughtfully combine bereavement group support with structured physical activity training.