The Mind-Body Connection: Mental and Physical Health

Sports injuries are physical setbacks with physical causes which can be cured by physical means. Sprained ankles, pulled muscles, or broken bones are all caused by the normal rigors of training and competition, right? Wrong. More and more contemporary sport psychology research is uncovering the relationship between an athlete's mental health and the physical well-being. As documented in a January 4 New York Times article, stress in an athletes life can be a primary factor in the cause of injury. For example, a stressed athlete may be less observant or alert during competition, resulting in a physical mistake which leads to injury. The same mistake may not have been made had the same athlete been in peak condition mentally. Furthermore, as we all know, our muscles tense up during periods of stress. Athletes experiencing abnormal muscle tension due to stress are more susceptible to injury, since tense muscles are more likely to strain or tear.

How can stress related injuries be avoided? Lowering stress is one way. However, since removing all stress in life is clearly impossible, perhaps the best way is to learn how to handle stress better. According to Dr. Stanley Herring, team physician of the Seattle Seahawks, the impact of stress is determined at an individual level - "One man's stress is another man's vacation...Those at risk are the ones whose stress exceeds the resources they have to cope with it." How are you at handling your own stress? Recommended coping methods are visualizations and relaxation techniques.

To read the NYT article, click here.

For more content on the impact of stress on athletic performance, check out our December 11 post.

Quote of the Week

"The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club wont be worth a dime."

-Babe ruth

More sports quotes here.

Blinding Rage

Titans D Tackle Albert Haynesworth shocked the sports world on October 1st with his now-infamous head-stomp on Cowboys center Andre Gurode. The sports media world was instantly ablaze with reports of "out of control athletes", as we all remember.
What were the mental events which took place to lead to such a horrific act? What were Haynesworth's psychological reactions to the event? This month's ESPN the Magazine delves further into the issue. Haynesworth claims it was an attempted cheap shot by Gurode on his surgically repaired knee that spurred the incident. The rage and anger built up inside after the play to the extent that the plays preceding the stomp were a blur - and the Titan didn't at first remember why he was in the locker room by himself after being ejected. He was truly blinded by rage.
Since the fight, Haynesworth has been seeing a counselor weekly to discuss his feelings and mindset. It has been nothing too formal or academic - simply chatting about how he's feeling, which eventually leads to a deeper discussion about his family troubles or the pressure he's felt since signing a huge contract.
Given the violence exhibited by the Knicks-Nuggets brawl, the Haynesworth stomp, and the TO spitting controversy, clearly the need in professional athletics for sports counseling is more pressing than ever. Keep checking with SPINw for further updates on the topic.

Read Seth Wickersham's article from ESPN the Magazine's Jan. 15 issue here.