Injuries to our bodies are not always caused by blunt force, outside sources, or athletic activities. There are injuries that are caused by our minds, fueled by a sense of inadequacy and catapulted by some individual’s inability to acclimate to stress appropriately. Negative body issues are a huge threat to the overall health and well being of our bodies. Anorexia Nervosa is one of those severe conditions that top the list of life threatening diseases. When it comes to skewed perception, an obsession with appearance and performance coupled with nonchalance towards physical limitations can quickly turn athletes into anorexics.
When it comes to these athletes, the pressure to exceed, succeed, and excel in any given sport can sometimes drive them to pursue an extremely unattainable standard. Anorexia Nervosa is a sports injury that isn’t usually talked about, nor is one that is popularly associated with other sports injuries. It isn’t easily classified by its symptoms since there is such a varying degree of sufferance. The underlining injury that can affect the long-term health of an athlete’s mind is one that can unhinge the well being of their self-acceptance long term.
Because most athletes adhere to strict dietary guidelines, have a rigorous training program and have an activity level much higher than the average American, it’s easy and almost assumed that the lines will be blurred between healthy and unhealthy.
Symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa are an obsession with weight and training schedules, abuse of diuretics, depression, mood swings, and loss of interaction with others due to the fear of socially awkward food dilemmas or missed training. Many health problems can stem from anorexia, which develop a long string of degenerative and potentially deadly side affects. Those include: low blood pressure, constant dehydration, amenorrhea (loss of period in women due to a low percentage of body fat), osteoporosis, insomnia, and a disparity of electrolyte distribution.
Physicians and specialists have steered away from prescribing exercise to those who are suffering from anorexia for several different reasons. First of all, it is an obvious fact that exercise burns calories, and those that are taking in a great deal less than the daily calorie allotment needed for survival do not need to burn additional energy. Secondly, some anorexics view exercise as a way to cleanse and punish the body for taking in too many calories that day or week. This acts itself out in hours of grueling cardio in the gym with the goal to reach the point of absolute energy depletion.
Since anorexia is a disease of the mind, there are very few treatments that have been known to work, however Pilates rehabilitation is one of them. The problem with releasing an anorexic after a patient has successfully been admitted and released from a treatment center detoxified is the aftermath. There has to be some kind of safety net to keep them on the right path. This is where Pilates can offer active recovery for those that struggle to adjust to normal calorie intake and expenditure, and have to face their biggest fear of gaining healthy weight.