DOES TRAUMA AFFECT YOUR HEALTH & FITNESS?
Trauma: Certainly, a more sensitive topic - but important to mention when it comes to health and fitness.
Trauma is ANYTHING that overwhelms our ability to cope. Unlike typical “stress” in which we can recover from and get back to “baseline”, trauma affects us so intensely, we’re unable to “recover” the same way - ultimately making it more difficult to cope.
Keep in mind - trauma is based on a person’s subjectiveexperience - so what seems major to one person may feel minor to another. Our perception and response to an event or situation is what makes it traumatic.
As fitness coaches, it’s not our job to diagnose or treat people’s trauma, but a great coach should be able to understand how trauma can present itself in a clients journey; IE why someone may be privy to self-sabotage, why their negative self-talk and progress go hand in hand, why they may neglect their own health but take care of others, etc.
Shameless plug: This is one of the MANY reasons we have mental health services at Level TEN. Having therapists and counselors on staff to help our clients work through any prior or existing trauma alongside their fitness goals has been a game changer for so many.
So, how does how trauma tend to present itself in one’s health and fitness journey?
HOW TRAUMA MAY PRESENT ITSELF
PHYSICALLY:
Hormonal dysfunction: Hormonal issues often stem from an over-activated HPA axis. This is essentially a hormonal feedback loop that’s extremely sensitive to energy availability & overall stress. When we see dysfunction of the HPA axis, our sex hormones, cortisol, blood sugar, gut health, and even neurotransmitters can suffer.
Increased inflammation: Not only can we often "see" or "feel" inflammation, we can also "measure" this inflammation via lab work. You'd see this inflammation present itself in lab markers such as C-reactive protein and inflammatory cytokines.
Inexplainable pain: Think nagging or chronic pain but without any prior injuries or anything diagnosable on an Xray, MRI, etc. Your pain is very much real, but it's unable to be explained or diagnosed accordingly. NOTE: Inflammation can even increase our perception of pain!
Did you know? Research shows childhood trauma is associated with a higher risk of heart disease, cancer, liver disease, and more. Additionally, research shows people with trauma may also have more chronic illnesses, particularly autoimmune disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, chronic fatigue, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and allergies.
EMOTIONALLY:
Overeating or bingeing.
Compensating with exercise, fasting, or purging after overeating.
Alternating between strict food control and losing allcontrol.
Creating food "rules" and/or extreme exercise "rules".
THIS TRAUMA MAY…
Make losing weight more difficult
Cause adherence and compliance issues
Make someone avoid exercise
Entice people to cope with food
Cause people to feel mentally "checked out"
Promote feelings of low self esteem
Make someone feel "stuck"
While easier said than done, working to resolve prior trauma, may be a missing link to some of your health & fitness progress.
Needless to say, our mental and emotional health have always, and will always, go hand in hand with our physical and physiological health.
STAY HEALTHY - HEAD COACH & CEO, JOELLE