Feeling overwhelmed by exercise

[secretgoose]

I suffer from back pain occasionally because of tight/weak muscles.

I go to the gym to strengthen them. Last week I did 4 hours in the gym. I went to the gym Tuesday (upper body only so it's not that) and woke up Wednesday with chronic lower back pain. I warmed up before each session and I stretched afterwards. I also need to walk more and I should do yoga too.

It just feels like a lot to do. I know loads of people who sit around and don't go to the gym but they don't seem to suffer like I do? Btw before people say it - it's not my form in the gym. It's sitting around loads doing my job. I can't get up every 30mins, it's not viable. I bought a desk treadmill but it's not easy to use it and work at the same time.

So I'm just wondering, does anyone here with an office job actually do all of the recommended things? Ie get 10k steps in, go to the gym and stretch enough?

I guess I'm just looking for empathy and/or motivation.

As I get older I do make an effort to do some simple stretches / movement every half hour at the desk - since I can't concentrate for more than half an hour at a time and 30s isn't much that seems fair to me

Don't always do enough though

I am too lazy to stand during most teams calls - got one guy who is so good at that but he's much younger !

I'm jel! Once I get in the zone I lose all concept of time. What do you do in the eve? I either game or watch tv so that's not brilliant either tbh

It's hard to fit all the things in. Harder if you're sore. My husband has a standing desk and got a walking pad recently and it's been a game changer for him.

You want Tom Morrison: tommorrison.uk

I've done his Simplistic Mobility Method and it's incredible. Within a fortnight I had measurable gains in mobility and stability. And I've just started his End Range Training to bring strength work back in.

All his programs start from an injury prevention standpoint. His history is with quite severe back injury.

Find him on Facebook, do some of his lower back videos for free. The when you're converted you can get one of his various programmes.

I don't
I do spin, netball and weights and try to stretch after every spin and weights class (prev spinal op) but i probably do 2000 steps a day max
Job means I'm tied to a desk for 9hrs and I can't fit in walking AND spin etc, and I figure the spin is probably better for me

I used to do enough. Went a walk every evening. But since having a slipped disc I do not. If I try and go more than a 10 minute walk I am in agony the next day.

This is such a reassuring response - Thankyou! It sounds like I just need to do more active stuff in my downtime. Do you have days where you don't do any sports or go to the gym? Sometimes I have social stuff during evenings so I'll literally do nothing all day on those days

I had a big injury and needed to mobilise my back a lot. There’s a channel called Upright Health on YouTube that’s very helpful.

Also, if you don’t have a foam roller, those are very good. I think they are making their way out of physiotherapist offices into gyms now. Foam is a bit of a misnomer. it’s actually quite hard and it really helps stretch out those muscles in a different way than if you were stretching yourself.

So I try and incorporate small bits of movement throughout the day.
It can be daunting, but then going for a 10 minute walk before work. 20 minute walk at lunch. 30 minutes yoga after work (if I go to a class just tell instructor I need to leave early as sometimes I just don’t want to do a 1 hour class). Committing to much smaller amounts, more regularly is helpful I find.

And know that it might feel hard at first but give it 6 weeks of small but regular steps and you will notice a difference.

Thankyou!! I'm going to do this. I think I just felt so overwhelmed and I'm a go hard or go home kind of person. So I was trying to work out how to get in a 45min walk in the morning. But you're absolutely right, if I broke that up over the day that would be loads better!

Alarm?

Evenings I do sone exercise before settling down work exercise eat collspse

Are you doing lots of core strength and stability exercises?

Core exercises yes. I'm not 100% sure on stability. I do planks, inchworms, deadbugs. Do you mean like exercises on one leg like airplanes? If so then no I don't.

@secretgoose of course! I have health issues that cause fatigue so my priorities are in order
Work (always as I'm single and the only earner)
Sleep (no point in exercising if you're genuinely fatigued)
Exercise

Some weeks I do 4 spin classes and netball, this week I've done nothing as work has been mad and I've got endometriosis pain
Out of all my colleagues only two exercise at all

Thanks for this! Good on you for getting the exercise in! Are you surprised like me that there aren't more people in chronic pain if they're literally not doing anything?

Hmm I guess it's tricky as you have people with pain who can't exercise then people who would improve with physio etc
I wasn't given any guidance after my op and ended up paying for a PT. So I can see that others might just have thought they couldn't exercise any more

You also need Tom Morrison.

Honestly, it works.

yes I know exactly what you mean. I get exhausted then working out when and how I eat around it too. Sometimes I will just do 20 minutes at the gym instead of the 1 hour now as it’s better than nothing.

i read something once that said to create a habit, just say to yourself all you are going to do is get into your exercise gear and do 5 minutes. That is what you are committing to so you don’t overwhelm yourself whilst trying to create a new habit. Then getting into your exercise gear is the main thing and once you have done that and committed to your 5 minutes, you may end up doing more as you went to that effort. But if not, you did your 5 minutes which is better than 0 minutes.

ive not explained that anywhere near as well as the psychologist did 😂

I work FT and have 4 kids. I do about 45mins of cardio, 20mins of strength and 10mins of yoga at least 6 days a week.

Bird dogs too?
I know your struggle though. I did intense exercise for years and ended up with herniated disc with nerve compression. Now I still do weight training but every now and then cause a flare up of sciatica or pulled back and it’s so frustrating. Trying to find a balance of keeping myself strong whilst not setting off my back!

A little goes along way. 5, 10, 15 mins for things like strength or flexibility are relatively easy to fit in. Even a short walk has many benefits.

Another way to make it work is to build it in as warm-up/ cool down time.

I keep a weight near the front door and do weighted stretches as part of my post-run cooldown. Two birds, one stone (or more precisely a kettlebell!) and it's 5-10 mins at the end of an existing session.

Even the hardcore "hybrid athlete" types prioritise one training block at at time and accept compromise, but they have wider health benefits than people totally dedicated to one event.

Every day I put an easy watch tv programme on and jog on the spot to it. It works really well and takes my mind off of exercise. I can do lots of steps like this. I know it’s not as good as getting outside but it’s a good extra.