Body Awareness | Refers to the conscious perception and understanding of one's own body and its various sensations, movements, and positions in space. It involves being attuned to the physical aspects of oneself; including internal sensations, external stimuli, and the overall state of the body.
Let's dive into the fascinating world of body awareness and stress. Think of body awareness as a muscle that grows stronger over time. By understanding and honing this skill, you can train intuitively and make significant strides toward achieving your fitness and wellness goals. When we tune into our bodies we have a greater chance for success in knowing when to push, when to pull back, and figuring out how to make real time decisions that align with your wellness goals. I invite you to take your body awareness a step further as I introduce the concepts of allostatic load and stress.
We'll start with the term: allostasis. This refers to the body's ability to maintain stability and homeostasis through change or adaptation.
Allostatic stress refers to the physiological and psychological strain experienced by the body when it responds to stressors. When events in life happen, unexpected changes, big transitions, even minor inconveniences dispersed throughout our day, our physical capacity is impacted and at times decreased depending on how our bodies are equipped to handle said stressors. In other words, you may notice the same weight feels heavier than it did last week or the same run/pace feels more challenging and taxing compared to last time. This very well may be due to how that particular day went in regards to the stressors you were exposed to. Our capacity is also impacted by internal stressors; for instance if you're working on yourself in a way of therapy and becoming aware of some behavioral patterns and doing the work to change them; this can certainly impact your energy and physical output.
When we're under increased stress, positive or negative, big or small, our "tank" or our capacity to handle loads may be decreased and if not regulated and managed this shifts our allostasis, ultimately contributing to increased susceptibility to injuries and a slower recovery process.
Allostatic load refers to the cumulative biological cost of maintaining allostasis over time. Allostatic load encompasses the physiological toll of chronic stress on the body. Allostatic load involves processes that happen internally, including changes in our hormones, neurotransmitters, and other regulatory systems. Allostatic load reflects the strain on organs and tissues (this includes our muscles, tendons, joints) as they continuously adapt to stressors.
I've been consistently strength training for years and I still have to make a VERY conscious effort to not only tune in, but to actually listen to what my body is telling me. I have times when I let my ego and stubbornness get in the way of me making the best next decision. What's helped me greatly is being in tune with my own state of allostasis.
Here are a few questions I ask myself when I'm on the fence about training or increasing the intensity:
How was my sleep the last few nights? Did I feel rested when I woke up today? Am I feeling especially sore anywhere? Does the soreness resolve after my dynamic warm up? Am I feeling run down from anything in particular (i.e. recent illness of myself or my family, heavy workload, big life change- moving or close relationships shifting)?
Putting all this together, as you continue to progress on your wellness journey, I encourage you to practice checking in with yourself by way of mindfulness practices and routine body check-ins.
Here are a few resources you can use to help as you explore a deeper level of body awareness:
Takeaways from all this stress talk....when we are looking to increase activity level, walk or run further, lift heavier, exercise more consistently; take stock each day of the stressors in your life and how they may impact your overall energy and capacity. For instance, if you've had sick kiddos and have not gotten adequate sleep, pushing yourself to beat last week's pace or going heavier on your squat may not be the best decision.
Your ability to self-regulate based on a particular day's stress load will take you to the next level in prioritizing injury prevention and staying AHEAD of your symptoms; honoring the state of your body on any given day.
Cheers to your pursuit of wellness and balance,
-Dr Julie Sergent