The Morale Of The Story

I had my second PT appointment on Wednesday.  I am gaining more movement and have substantially less pain.  So, things are improving and that makes me happy.  I see the PT three times next week.

We are also working on strengthening the core muscles that support the back.  He describes it has a tree with a strong truck.  If a tree has a strong truck, unlike a newly planted tree, it won’t flop in the wind but instead it stands strong.  Your core supports your back and so those muscles need to be maintained.  The morale of the story is: I shouldn’t have skipped out on the floor exercises in my classes at the Y all these years!

My PT said he read somewhere that 80% of Americans will have some sort of back problem in their life.  Since I have been talking to my friends about my back pain, several have also had back pain or know a loved one or friend that struggles with back pain.  Some have even had surgery.  The PT says it really comes down to poor posture.

I know I have poor posture.  How do I know this?  Well, sitting at work for 10 hours with proper posture, as I have been doing for a few days now, sure makes for a long uncomfortable night!  I miss the days of crossing my legs, hunching my back, and resting my arms on the arm rest.  And my tailbone is quite irritated with this new posture as well.  Okay that and the fact that I fell on my ass Monday morning!

While I am happy my back pain is improving and I work to keep it that way I am nervous about the lack of exercise and my food intake.  I am already struggling with about 4 pounds of extra weight that might as well be 40 pounds because I feel fat and uncomfortable in my pants.  I know this is just temporary and when I can add in more physical fitness I can work to shed these pounds.  I also have to make sure I work to not add more pounds!

This week I am working on sticking to my DPA of 30 PPVs.  If I am hungry or need to eat more food I can use my WPPAs.  I don’t plan to use them though and need to try and stick with just my DPA.  I don’t want to feel deprived either.  I am already miserable enough (see irritated tailbone above).  I also need to focus on getting in a lot of Power Foods and reducing my sweets.  I have written on my tracker each day “No Sweets.”  Again, I don’t want to deprive myself but right now it is okay if I don’t indulge.

I have plans for some beer tasting on Saturday and most likely will have a meal or two out to eat as well.  I also plan to start with some leisure walks if I am feeling good.  I don’t want to put a kink in the healing of my back injury but I also do miss exercise.  I am not supposed to exercise with any high intensity but walking is fine.  I might even try the recumbent bike at the Y to see how that feels.