Summer Colds

I joke that my nose is always runny, but last week vague symptoms of allergies graduated into a nasty sore throat (due to post nasal drip), a persistent dry cough (also due to that drip), and eventually, fatigue with burning eye lids. My eyelids always burn when I'm feeling run down. Not sure how or why. It just is. I'm definitely better today, with just the usual mildly runny nose. And my sciatica has almost receded into being annoying but not horrible. Of course, tomorrow is when I finally get to see someone about the sciatica. My toes aren't going numb while driving anymore (thank goodness), but I'm still going to that appointment. 

I think my lower back has a lot of instability and past efforts to strengthen it makes the left side prone to muscle spasms and aches. Weird because sciatica, when it's bad, is usually but not always on the right side. It'd be nice to finally understand what's going on with the spine and surrounding tissues so I can avoid things that exacerbate it, and add the movements that will help. Actually, I thought that's what I'd been doing for the past year, but clearly something's changed. Maybe it's just aging? After all, nothing in life is static.

The gym is moderately crowded for a Monday but no one's on the elliptical so I'm able to pedal as usual. I'm flushed and sweaty by the time I amble over to the Stretch Cage where I'm able to squeeze out 16 reps without undue stress on my forearms. Then off to the Aerobics Room which seems warmer than the rest of the gym. There's 3 other people stretching out and I recognize 2 of them by sight. 

My sciatica is healed enough that I can actually sit on the mat. When it's bad I can only  kneel. Planks, push-ups and cat/cow are still uncomfortable though, with a deep ache that dissipates once those positions change. I'm a little hesitant to do a second set of pull-ups, but push past the doubt. I stop at 15 without any noticeable forearm strain, but I won't know until tomorrow if there's soreness.

24 July 2023 10:21 - 12:18
Hot Monday w mild sciatica

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30 + 5 (5630)
Distance: 2.84
Cal: 316
Avg Hr: 146, 186-84

HGPU 16 easing back in

20 Hip Bridges
Crunches 60 knees bent
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
20 Hip Bridges
   Slight Soreness Sciatica Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
   Slight Soreness Sciatica Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
  Slight Soreness Sciatica Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper body stretch
Eye yoga

HGPU 15