In my practice I am seeing a growing number of serious and not so serious athletes who are succumbing to injuries. What is that about?
We all know that exercise is good for us. Well, Yes and No.
Exercise is great for a healthy well functioning body that is getting all the nutrients it needs and is not exposed to a whole lot of toxins.
With nutrients, I am including the necessary micro and macro nutrients (fancy words for vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, carbs and other good stuff) that we know are necessary for wellness.
With toxins, I am including all the chemicals, insecticides, herbicides, heavy metals and allergens, that detract from wellness, by diverting bodily resources.
Exercise does place an additional strain on the body. It chomps through more nutrients as the body tries to repair and grow (or shrink).
As we use up our supplies of protein, essential fatty acids, magnesium, zinc, iodine, selenium, antioxidants, phyto-nutrients, etc.; we create a deficient state where the body just does not have the essentials it needs to repair. Even worse, the deficit leads to breakdowns, which for you will mean strained ligaments, torn muscles, shin splints and more.
Have you every wondered why top athletes who hammer their bodies only have a limited career and have to withdraw because of injuries. We follow our sporting heroes and then cringe as they first miss critical events/matches and then have to terminate their sporting careers. Tragic! But equally tragic is when it is you, not being able to jog or go to the gym, as you would wish.
Your body knows that exercise is good for it. It wants nothing more than to serve you. When your car runs out of petrol, it just stops. Your body digs much deeper and steals from anywhere it can to keep going. It can only do this for so long and then it starts to break down – injuries.
What you see as an annoying connective tissue injury, your body may see as a major nutrient deficiency.
Before you go rushing out to buy a whole lot of nutrient and throw them down your throat, take a moment to check what you are actually deficient in. So many people waste money gobbling down stuff, which they already have aplenty and they miss the boat on what their body really needs. Test and be sure.
Exercise is great. Just make sure your body has what it needs and if you are one of those repetitive injury people, think about what your body may need to serve you better.