Repetitive Stress Injury

Stress is not all bad. The degree or amount of stress that you experience is what determines whether it is good or bad for you. The good stress is what your body experiences when you exercise to get in or stay in shape. For example, when you lift weights, you are stressing your muscles, which in turn partially break down. Over the course of several days, your body repairs the damage and makes your muscles stronger.

However, if you apply too much stress, and the muscle gets strained, the damage is not easily repaired. Overdo how much you exercise over sustained periods of time and you may experience repetitive stress injuries to other parts of your body such as stress fractures of your leg bones. Therefore, the right amount of stress, with appropriate rest and nutrition, is needed to build your muscles back up to be stronger than they were before. Too much stress and your body breaks down more than it can heal itself. Finding the right balance between exercise and recovery can be challenging especially if you are in training for an event or new to a sport or exercise regimen. 

As a general rule of thumb, expect some degree of discomfort or soreness associated with increased levels of physical exertion. However, if you develop symptoms that affect your function or mobility in your every day life, that could be a sign that you may have sustained an injury or require a greater period of recovery. If your symptoms persist or don’t subside as you would have expected or recur soon after resumption of said activity, you should stop and contact your coach, or medical provider for further assessment.