The Dark Side of Training: Mental Health and Exercise

Movement is proven to be fantastic for not just physical health, but mental health as well. It improves mood, reduces stress, enhances self-esteem, and improves sleep.

We also know it's a great method of relieving depression and anxiety. But is there another side to this?

I generally talk about two kinds of people that I work with when it comes to rehabbing pain and injury. There are those who have a lot of fear instilled in them regarding movement, and every action they take is preceded by the thoughts, "Is this going to make things worse?" or "Is something going to give?"

But the other group is those who simply do too much. Rather than fear, they're ruled by ambition, always wanting to do more each and every training session. I distinctly remember a runner I was coaching who was coming off a severe injury that I was assessing, and she told me how, for months leading up to the injury, she wanted each subsequent run to be better than the last; a longer distance at a quicker pace.

I told her straight that it wasn't a surprise that she got hurt. Your average injury doesn't happen from a single event; rather, it builds up by exceeding your capacity repeatedly without giving yourself a chance to recover. These ambitious people are always seeking progress or some sort of validation, and often ignore what their body is telling them as a consequence. The reasons we do this to ourselves can be varied, but they all stem from some reliance on exercise.

I understand this mindset because it's part of the reason why I injured my back in the first place.

I had seriously gotten into barbell training 6 months prior, and I was loving how strong I was feeling. It was honestly holding up my self-esteem at the time. My work was physical, I was relatively active outside of it, and the weight on the bar each week was going up. Being strong and athletic was (and still is) a big part of my identity.

So when I loaded up 225lbs on the barbell for a deadlift, I wasn't prepared for what was going to happen. For context, I was usually lifting in the 300s for a handful of reps and reaching 225lbs was just another warmup set. As soon as I lifted it off the floor, I felt the sharp pain and immediately knew that something was wrong.

But let's rewind a bit. As mentioned, my job had me doing a lot of heavy lifting in weird, twisting, and repetitive positions. There were nights I'd come home stiff and in pain, but I would finish so late that I'd just shower and head to bed. I woke up feeling even stiffer.

Combine this with my training a minimum of 5 days a week, always trying to lift heavier and not knowing enough to realize the red flags. Sitting started to become seriously uncomfortable. Driving a car was agony. Putting my socks on in the morning required me to lie down. All of this culminated in that 225lb lift.

I had just herniated a disc in my back.

I'm less here to talk about disc herniations and more to talk about why it happened. And it was for two main reasons.

1. I became overly dependent on exercise for my mental health and well-being

2. I became so ambitious that I was ignoring clear signs that something was wrong

And even after this event, my self-talk at the time was that I was weak and just needed to push harder.

We sometimes chalk this type of event to being burnt out, and that you have to keep grinding, but it's that attitude that can get us into trouble. I can't tell you how many stories I've heard from people who are stuck in a cycle of injuring themselves, taking time off to rehab, only to hurt themselves again by keeping the "grindset" mindset going.

Cue the "pain is just weakness leaving the body" quote.

The reality is, when we depend so heavily on exercise for whatever reason (which is normally great for our physical and mental health), it can become a detriment.

Life is hard, and sometimes our cup is emptied from coping with the difficulties of life. When you add the pressures you put on yourself from training and consistently progressing, it can get you down.

All of this to say, you're not alone in how you feel. You're not weak or a failure if you aren't progressing week after week (which is an unreasonable expectation). As much as you can have an unhealthy relationship with food, you can have an unhealthy relationship with exercise.

If you recognize any of these signs:

• decreased sleep

• altered appetite

• decreased motivation to train

• decreased performance

• any other signs of burnout

Then here are a few things I've found helpful.

1. Decrease training stress. It should go without saying that you're probably doing too much, and you need to give your body a chance to recover. It doesn't mean stop moving entirely, but you need to play with some variables. Ironically, I find this helps increase motivation to train because you don't feel so beaten down all the time.

2. Focus on sleep and stress management. Whatever you can do to improve both of these, the better. The biggest bang for your buck is improving sleep hygiene with things we've all heard like avoiding devices before bed, having a dark room, creating consistent sleep and wake-up times, etc. Engage in stress management activities like yoga, meditation, reading, stretching or anything else you find relaxing.

3. Talk to someone. Whether it's a professional or someone you trust, bottling up feelings rarely works. As much as you're trying to be strong, it takes more strength to speak out and admit when you need help.

The funny thing is, despite this experience, I still find myself dependent on exercise for my mental health. If I miss a training session, it feels like something is missing in my life, which isn't a bad thing in itself, but I know I have to catch myself if I start to go overboard. Pay attention to the signs, make sure you're enjoying the process and the result, and do everything you can to rest and recover when needed.

To your good health,

Coach Stephen