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Fitness Weekly Discussion
What have you been doing lately for your own fitness? Try out any new programs or exercises? Have any questions for others about your training? Want to vent about poor behavior in the gym? Started a new diet or have a new recipe you want to share? Anything else health and wellness related?
I’m slowly easing back into things after getting COVID last week. I did a short run yesterday and a light bodyweight workout and stretch today. It felt good!
I was feeling a bit depressed and bored yesterday and I was thinking about how I’m coming up on 5 months without alcohol, and how that’s a pretty great accomplishment. I meant to do something for myself on the three-month mark, and then at the four-month mark, but just hadn’t gotten around to it.
Long story short, I went on a bit of a spending spree. I got some new running shoes, a smartwatch to track my runs and then signed up for my first 5k race.
I was really on the fence about the watch, but I really enjoy recording and seeing my stats, and it should just make that a lot easier. The race is more about going out and doing something outside of my comfort zone. I’m not really looking forward to it, but I think it will feel good to have done it.
I've hurt my lower back a few times in the past several years and I've just recently started feeling better about squatting again. In addition to carefully studying proper squat form, I am still looking for any recommendations and cautions for squatting for people with bad backs. For the first time ever I've starting using a lifting belt when I squat. Belts don't prevent back injuries, but they do make me extra conscious about the role of intra-abdominal pressure when squatting. I'm around a calculated ORM of 300 pounds now and, assuming I can maintain a healthy back, I will slowly, slowly try to edge up towards 400.
Speaking of lower back injuries. I actually fucked mine up last night. We had a massive snow/ice storm, so I went and shoveled a path in my backyard for my dog (so he could go take a poop). But mid throw my feet went out from under me and I landed pretty hard on my side. It didn't hurt that badly at the time, so I just got back up and kept shoveling. But now, almost a day later it's ridiculously stiff and sore as all hell. I can't bend or rotate without getting a painful twinge, and even sitting upright is uncomfortable. Hopefully I didn't do any serious or permanent damage, because the last thing my fitness journey needs is another major setback (heh). :(
Good luck recovering! My two worst experiences with back injuries were full out hospital grade pain. I was given high dose ibuprofen, muscle relaxants and something to minimize muscle spasms. That cocktail worked very well to address the immediate pain and spasming, but the real recovery came from simply resting. It took several weeks before I could go through a normal day (carefully) without fear of falling on the floor in pain, and then several months before I had enough confidence to get back under a squat bar. But the key is to take that rest seriously. I made the mistake a few times of trying to act like normal too soon, and that just reset the recovery clock …in a painful way.
That's good advice. Thanks for the reminder to give it time, as I forget to do that with injuries sometimes too. I just took an Aleve Back & Body, put on some Icy Hot, and am sitting here with a heating pad on my back. I don't think I'm at hospital grade pain levels though, so hopefully that's enough to at least relieve some of my discomfort and help it along. Time will tell.