When it comes to sports injuries, we tend to focus on the the pain and physical health, but injuries can also have an impact on our emotional wellbeing.
1. Natural anti-depressant
Sports and exercise (and notably for professional athletes) play an important role and health and mental wellbeing. Being injured and unable to exert energy in your normal way can have a negative impact on your mental health. Running for example is known to reduce anxiety and build energy and confidence. For many athletes, sports create a natural high, and are often used as an outlet for stress and anxiety. When this outlet is removed, the athlete may feel as if they have no other way to cope with these stressors – magnifying them and creating a more stressful situation.
2. Social Isolation
People often exercise in groups or with a friend, and therefore you may start to feel socially isolated when you can't go about your normal routine. Injured athletes are also more likely to experience feelings of unhappiness and dejection, and may become more irritable and isolated.
3. No longer getting the feel-good factor
During exercise our increased heart rate means more oxygen is pumped to the brain and other organs too. The brain thinks that we are going to fight an enemy or run away from it and it secretes endorphins which give us a feel-good factor. Research has also shown that regular aerobic exercise develops an area of the brain called the hippocampus which aids memory and learning.
4. Lack of empowerment
Exercise is such a wonderful way to improve our mental health, as we get fitter, stronger and more flexible, we feel more empowered. When unable to work out, it can feel frustrating. We might worry about losing all the gains we've made and we also miss out on the stress and anxiety-busting benefits of movement.
5. Loss of identity
Many of us, especially when we are younger, associate sport as a major part of our identity. When that portion of their identity is taken away, there will be an inevitable feeling of loss. Their self-esteem may also suffer as a result of this, similarly to when an athlete experiences what they would deem as failure in their respective sport achievement-wise.
Conclusion
While nobody plans on picking up an injury, they are an inevitable component of sports and exercise. Recovery and rehabilitation are both key to the physical element as well as the non-physical mental health element. Muscle Ice Pack helps to aid the recovery process through aiding the recovery process.
