So I got my arm looked at by a sports medicine doctor, and it turns out I have what they call a “stress reaction” in my right forearm. Like a stress fracture, it’s a repetitive overuse injury or a “chronic repetitive stress injury of bone.” This can happen when you don’t give your body adequate time to heal between workouts.

What’s funny is that I knew how damaging overtraining can be yet somehow acted as though I were an exception to the rule. I’ve never been disciplined about taking rest days—like a lot of busy people, I really have no clue how to relax. Though I’m frustrated about having to wear a brace on my wrist and be gentle with it, I think this is one of those “blessing in disguise” situations. I’d been meaning to learn how to slow down when necessary, but couldn’t think of a reason. Now I have one.

Honestly, I feel more lucky that anything. It could have been a lot worse. Still, this is one heck of a warning. Stress reaction, seriously? Though it’s tempting to want to “blame the Universe,” it’s all me on this one, and now that I’ve seen what can happen when you don’t treat yourself well, I’m finally motivated to do better. I still have at least another two to four weeks, so it should be interesting, to say the least.

You can read more about stress reactions and stress fractures here.

Though these kinds of injuries are less about diet and more about overuse, an adequate diet is a good defense in terms of both preventing damage and promoting healing. I will say, though, for these overuse bone injuries, calcium and vitamin D are especially important to make sure you get enough of. I’ll share anything else noteworthy I come across.