Lose the Stress and Spare the Injury

Every sports shrink knows that stress influences athletic performance, and usually not for the better. Now, as this New York Times piece warns, some psychologists are becoming increasingly concerned about the ways that stress increases the likelihood of injury. Stress increases muscle tension, and tense muscles are more
susceptible to tearing or can throw a person off balance and affect
coordination. The Times’ story also warns that studies have shown that during a single school year, one
in six athletes is likely to suffer an injury serious enough to miss
games. Other studies have reported that high stress levels make
athletes at least twice as susceptible to injury.
What to do?  The Times reports that the American College of Sports Medicine recommends methods such as
progressive muscle relaxation, a sequence of movements to tense and
release muscle groups to bring tension levels down. Visual imagery,
which involves picturing certain images to create a different physical
state, can also be put to good use, and doing
deep, abdominal breathing helps change shallow breathing (a symptom of
stress and tension) into deeper, rhythmic breathing.  Read more about how to stay cool, and injury free.