When Less is More

Sweating through the mask!

I'm still having trouble in the morning trying to get my socks on. Hopefully, I'll be back to normal by next week if I do what I need but no more. Being a competitive type of person makes it difficult to hold back. I've got that little voice in my head that goads me on. But doing more has gotten me into trouble. Trouble means injury and pain.

After an hour trudging through the dog park, I'm mobile enough to change my clothes (and socks!) without too much issue. Today I don't do any backward pedaling since it's apparently too hamstring-intensive. It still doesn't explain why that gives me a knot in my lower back. 

I haven't done Intervals in a while and I can pedal forward for the entire program. I'm tempted to pedal backward during the last 5 minutes but I don't want to tempt fate: 30 minutes without any back spasms so why risk it to pedal another 5 backward? I've always thought of the backward pedaling as a way to balance a normally quad-heavy exercise, but perhaps I'm wrong.  

Today, I pedal hard but only forward. I'm warned against doing crunches because they're bad for lower backs if you have a weak core. I don't think that's my problem. I still do crunches and I feel abs contracting and nothing else. Happy Baby is relaxing although I make the Dead Bugs progressively harder with each set: both leg flex and extend; alternating legs flex and extend; alternating arms and legs flex and extend; both arms and legs simultaneously flex and extend. There is a flutter in the abs but not much more. 

The plank, push-ups, bird dogs, and fire hydrants all feel okay. I even do a few Cobra poses but without the pulling and pressing. Those directions actually make my hips and back hurt more. I completely skip downward dog and subsequent stretches that have me collapsed over my legs--too much stress on the lower back and hamstring even though I can do these moves easily. But perhaps that's the point: because I can do them, I do them, and these moves are actually quite punishing for the lower back. (It's not uncommon for former athletes like gymnasts to suffer from spinal arthritis and joint issues later in life.) Right now I have to focus on not perpetuating the damage already done. 

I talk myself out of attempting a set of hammer-grip pull-ups as I leave the Aerobics Room. It's something I could probably do, but I probably shouldn't. My understanding of human anatomy doesn't explain what stressors involve the lower spine while doing this movement. Less is better. Not zero activity, just less activity at least for now. Maybe I'll add the Pigeon Pose next week. It looks similar to a stretch I used to do... 

12 March 2021
Sunny Sciatic Friday

Precor elliptical
35 min
Program Intervals
HR 171-139, 118
Cal 324
Distance 2.90

Crunches x 60 x 2
Piriformis Stretch
Happy Baby stretch
10 Dead Bugs x 4
Plank 60s
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
3 Cobra 5 sec hold
Push-Ups 25
No Lower Back Modified stretch