Exercise Most UN-Wanted List

I’ve about had it. The doc gave me a sheet of exercises for upper back pain. Nice gradual plan: do two the first week, then add two more, and what order to best progress. Of the first two exercises, I can only do one. The other is physically not possible. Undaunted, I did that a few days, and optimistically decided to add one of the next two. Rediculous upper back and neck pain, even with only one tiny attempt. Enough pain I couldn’t sleep well until 2 am after taking over the counter drugs and biofreeze. Thinking I need to make a chart of all the activities I should avoid, like a top criminals list, and simply avoide them at all costs. Only thing I can think of is perhaps self massage could help loosen some things up, since stretching is out of the question. Ironically the more one hurts, the more one happens to tense up inadvertently, only making things worse. So I can either do one back exercise and be in pain for two days, or I can do my regular wimpy exercises. Gee, what a decision.

Doctor Appointment about Back Pain

Finally got a doctor's appointment to discuss my back pain, or any good recommendations how to proceed with exercise. See, the last doc I saw (for a different condition) said forget about walking and cardio; do strength training. So I've been attempting to use my wimpy weights and do these other little supposed activities with words like "sculpting" in the description. While anything over 5 pounds does cause tension, it was the stretches that really knocked me out. So first off, doc said don't do any weights; just walk. Sure, whatever. Cant make all the docs happy all the time. We discussed physical therapy, and decided on trying a sheet of recommended exercises first. Starting very small: 2 exercises the first week, only 1 rep per day, gradually building up. Then add two more exercises, and so on. Only odd thing was the idea of 20 minutes of exercise 3x a week being sufficient. Uhm, if we count strengthening, I'm doing the total amount for the week or more. So what's up with such a tiny goal? Is that only for beginners? Worth a try, I guess. He also gave me a prescription for pain if/when it gets super bad (non-addictive). That's at least a resource so I can sleep or concentrate or get throught when I accidentally trigger something.

Neck Strain and Still pretty Sore

Neck strain is another painful result of using too much weight. Too much for the neck, at least. I did a few sets of 12 with my good arm, and it was tired, but not close to collapsing. At least it was only one side of my neck since my other arm is plagued by tennis elbow.

I still dislike being “this” sore every single day. I mean, really? This is what normal life is supposed to be like – semi-constant daily pain? Seems like there’s got to be a better way. I get up from my desk at work and I don’t walk anymore – I semi hobble, semi-limp down the hall. Maybe it’s because I’m sitting too much, but we’re not supposed to stand and stretch or get up and walk around because that’s clearly not working. There are standing work-stations available, but my knees aren’t up for that. Oh yes, did we mention the physical therapist who saw me for knee pain and said I was deformed? Knee-extensions are my least favorite, as they always crunch. If I keep my knee in the same position (either straight or bent) there are still exercises I can do. But at my current weight and fitness level, standing in one place is not a good idea.

I am getting a little tired of things seeming to be in my way, but I realize that’s my fault if I let them be in my way. I’m just really not a fan of being sore all the time. In my youth, I was incredibly careful to avoid soreness if I could help it. I’ve always had weight issues. When I decided to walk extensively for weight loss, I made a commitment to do everything I could to not let soreness get in the way of my progress. I would not allow it to be a negative experience and excuse to stop or slack off. Sure, there were occasional hikes where I was a bit sore and tired afterwards, but those were days of 8-12+ miles and steep terrain. Those were on trips and special occasions. Even then, I was younger and in better shape and recovered pretty quickly. But this constant low-grade pain every day is getting annoying. Because yes, it does discourage me to keep at it every day. If it was only on new exercises, that would be ok. If it got better with more experience and practice, that would be fine. But it doesn't. Ever.