A couple of weeks ago, during a pretty stressful day related to owning two houses at one time (hopefully, not for long), I put a box in my wife’s car and tweaked my back. During my weekly call with my coach today I discovered that there is an interesting school of thought on the impact of stress on injuries, especially the freak ones like this. I wasn’t lifting anything heavy, and I only twisted slightly, but it was enough. And, I’ve been fighting the after effects ever since (although I’m doing much better). My coach told me about the theory that stress creates a neuromuscular stress that puts us at higher risk.
When I look back at many of my strange injuries over the years, this theory seems to come into focus. In fact, I’ve wondered if stress doesn’t collect in certain spots in the body, only to react and create an injury. So, today, my wife wanted me to move some stuff. I decided to try to meditate briefly beforehand in order to reduce my risk of injury. That’s the plan moving forward. Chill before twisting or lifting!
This theory has other implications, not the least of which are the impact of stress on one’s immune system. In fact, I’ve come down with a cold prior to my last two ironman’s, and really would like to avoid having that happen again. Stress and lack of sleep combine to create a huge drag on one’s immune system. Getting enough sleep and meditating are the secret weapons against the ravishes of stress.
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