thoughts about exercise and other's experience

now, to put a little perspective, i'm probably on the younger side of the spectrum on the board. without getting too specific, i'm in my twenties.

when i was younger i was in extremely good shape. i lead a pretty active lifestyle where i would spend most of the hours in the day outside skating or doing other activities. i don't know any specific metrics, but i was extremely lean and had stamina for days.

along the line i endured some injuries (due to skating as well as a car accident) that i suspect left me unable to be as active as i had grown used to. nothing particularly crippling, but some rather intense pain in my lower back doing something as simple as being on my feet for too long. i tried to push forward with it, but eventually out of frustration i effectively gave it up.

over time my lifestyle developed to how it is now, where i'm the complete opposite of how i once was. i lead an extremely sedentary life nowadays. i feel i'd have trouble walking a mile if i were to try, and this feels pathetic to be honest, given my age and history.

my question is this, has anybody else here basically worked themselves back to health, perhaps even with a "condition" like mine? part of me hopes that by exercising and developing certain muscle groups, the back pain will lessen or perhaps go away. i'm curious to hear about the experiences that other people had in similar circumstances.

i miss being in great shape and the perks that come with it, but going from nothing to something seems extremely daunting.

Exercise will definitely help in all regards.
And while it looks daunting now, don't let that discourage you.
One thing to remember is to not over do it starting out, but don't under do it either.
I would really recommend getting a personal trainer to work with you the first few months, then maybe every now and then if you think you are hitting a plateau.
From personal experience, I was fairly out of shape when I went back to school for a few years and was basically forced to ride a bike everywhere everyday. I dropped something like 50 pounds quickly and felt a whole lot better from then on, much more energy, etc.

Yes..I had back surgery a few years ago. Push thr

Push through the pain but know your limits... The way I got through it? Wake up everyday thinking"well it probably won't be as bad as it was yesterday" and kept it moving.,.

Back pain sucks... period... but low-impact exercise would be a great way for you to go.

Swimming is awesome, and most YMCAs have a pool and the fees are really cheap.

So check that out for sure.

Good luck man.

I was in a bike accident, shattered both arms and I'm back to lifting and exercising. But it was A LOT of very painful physical therapy that I had to endure to get through it... but worth it.

+1 on swimming!!! I spent a lot of time in the water for the first 6-9 mos. still keep it up...

Yes love. I've been a competitive athlete all of my life and have sustained many serious injuries all of which I am paying for severely now. I was in traction for almost a month earlier this year, and couldn't walk at all from January through March and my muscles withered to nothing.

But last week I bench pressed 145 and leg pressed 320. Not bad for a girl who had to take the elevator up to the weight floor for two months because walking up stairs was difficult. But I'm still a very long way from my health goals.

All I can say is how important it was for me to reevaluate what I could and could not do and work within the capabilities of what my body can do now, at this moment in time. And to let go of the "old you" and what that body used to be able to do.

I know very well how frustrating it is, but you must find a way to be patient with yourself.

*high five*

now, to put a little perspective, i'm probably on the younger side of the spectrum on the board. without getting too specific, i'm in my twenties.

when i was younger i was in extremely good shape. i lead a pretty active lifestyle where i would spend most of the hours in the day outside skating or doing other activities. i don't know any specific metrics, but i was extremely lean and had stamina for days.

along the line i endured some injuries (due to skating as well as a car accident) that i suspect left me unable to be as active as i had grown used to. nothing particularly crippling, but some rather intense pain in my lower back doing something as simple as being on my feet for too long. i tried to push forward with it, but eventually out of frustration i effectively gave it up.

over time my lifestyle developed to how it is now, where i'm the complete opposite of how i once was. i lead an extremely sedentary life nowadays. i feel i'd have trouble walking a mile if i were to try, and this feels pathetic to be honest, given my age and history.

my question is this, has anybody else here basically worked themselves back to health, perhaps even with a "condition" like mine? part of me hopes that by exercising and developing certain muscle groups, the back pain will lessen or perhaps go away. i'm curious to hear about the experiences that other people had in similar circumstances.

i miss being in great shape and the perks that come with it, but going from nothing to something seems extremely daunting. Originally Posted by yeaaaa

Bikram Yoga is very good for lower back pain. I don't know what it is about those 26 poses, but it's like magic. You should give it a try. It's also very toning for your legs and buttocks, not so great for upper body toning and needs to be combined with other cardiovascular workouts. Injuries are frustrating. Best of luck!

Yeaaa

How bad do you want it?
Three and a half years ago I was under similar circumstances , back pain , overweight , could barely run 1 block without stoping, so I decided to make
a change in my life and committed myself to 3 months of exercise and a better diet. I did it without trainers but I do recommend you get one.
Today, I'm currently training for my 2nd Ironman race this year.
So my advise to you is , get a trainer and give your 100% all the time for at least 3 months. Its going to hurt and you are going to pay the price for not taking care of your body, but at the end it's all worth it!
Today is a great day to pay a visit to your local gym and sign up for another chance at a healthier life!
By the way, this month I'll be turning 50
Anything is possible!

having a bit of trouble sleeping (adjusting my schedule a bit..), and i gave the thread a look -- wow! thank you everybody so much for the kind words and insight.

a trainer doesn't seem too feasible unless there are some that keep the same hours i do (third shift employment = backwards hours). perhaps there are, i'm not sure as i've never considered them previously.

i will however take up the advice for the low-impact type of stuff, swimming for example. i always found a lot of relief in the family pool after doing some yard work and my lower back was on fire, so that seems like a good place to start.

there are several bootcamp type workouts that meet in the early morning. if they meet at a time convenient to when you get off work, it may be worth looking into. regardless, good luck.

I have serious back issues, I have degenerative cartilage disease in my lower back.. I will need a new hip by the time I am 60 or sooner..46 now..

get off your butt and do it! I had horrible last 3 years of my life, lost all my money, my house, my father died, my grandmother died all within those 3 years.. I sat on my ass for 15 months and the back pain got worse and worse and worse I could hardly get through the day and driviing more than 2 hours was out of the question.
So I got off my ass and starting training again, Just simple stuff .

Now just after 5 months I am just about pain free in my lower back. it will never go away but now its manageable

You have to get your core muscles back in shape..
sit ups, push ups, power walking, lunges. anything to help your core..
I cant do yoga or rather I refuse to do yoga but I know its good for you..

so first step is easy get off your ass!!!

i herniated a disc in my lower back which left me confined to the floor for about a year and a half (all while living away in another country away from any friends and family), that was after putting on about 60 extra pounds (so i was 230 ish).

once i was able to get working on my back, i reversed course and put myself first (my health really), start with diet, you can cut 20-30 pounds in 3 months by eating better and less, from there you'll be able to get back into sports and the gym with ease and youll be looking great in no time! cheer up and put the chicken wing down

Yeaaa

How bad do you want it?
Three and a half years ago I was under similar circumstances , back pain , overweight , could barely run 1 block without stoping, so I decided to make
a change in my life and committed myself to 3 months of exercise and a better diet. I did it without trainers but I do recommend you get one.
Today, I'm currently training for my 2nd Ironman race this year.
So my advise to you is , get a trainer and give your 100% all the time for at least 3 months. Its going to hurt and you are going to pay the price for not taking care of your body, but at the end it's all worth it!
Today is a great day to pay a visit to your local gym and sign up for another chance at a healthier life!
By the way, this month I'll be turning 50
Anything is possible! Originally Posted by Alex2011

2.4 - 112 - 26.2?