Part I: The Inextricable Relationship Between Fitness & Trauma
Unaddressed Trauma and our Bodies
While most people think about trauma through the lens of mental health and psychology, it is imperative that we begin understanding its role in physical fitness and performance training.
Despite the tendency of the fitness industry to focus solely on external results of fitness training, our physical bodies do not exist in a vacuum devoid of emotion. Our emotions-- and, consequently, any trauma we experience-- have physiological effects on the rest of our body.
The trauma we experience in our lives rewires our brains; it triggers different hormonal responses; it encourages non-optimal breathing patterns, and it causes us to tense and tighten different areas of our bodies. It can even cause us to dissociate from our body as an escape mechanism, leaving us unable to connect with certain areas of our bodies.
Over time, any trauma we don't address and heal from-- both physically and mentally-- can begin to wreak havoc on us.
So, how does trauma affect our fitness practice?
As a performance trainer specializing in the mitigation and rehabilitation of injuries (particularly in the prenatal & postpartum period), it is evident that most training & performance goals can be more easily attained if we also acknowledge [and address] any emotional trauma that may potentially hinder progress.
Those who had really traumatic birth experiences often have a much more difficult time flowing through training programs and connecting to the pelvic floor muscles that we are trying to heal.
As a professional athlete (ya know, back in my "'hey' day"), emotional trauma from my past would creep up and the fear response from it could literally freeze my legs or make my mind and body completely disconnect.
Some experts even suggest that tight hip flexors are related to stress, fear, and trauma (which, by the way, I definitely see from both a physiological and energetic perspective).
So, if you have a fitness and performance goal that you are having difficulty attaining, my greatest piece of advice would be to make sure you don't neglect the emotional side of training-- focusing on the physical movements and exercises is important, but it is only one piece of the puzzle.
After a stressful or traumatic day or experience, where do you typically ache?
Stay tuned for Part 2 next week, when I'll give some tips on how to address trauma, from a fitness & performance training lens.