A Bit Sensational

It makes for a headline that's hard to miss: read about it yesterday and suddenly today, I can't help but trip over the damn "syndrome" on various health news outlets. What is it? Called Dead Butt or Gluteal Amnesia, I have to admit that I've never ever heard of this. And after reading about it, I'm not entirely convinced of the population affected, because it doesn't say in the article. (I've put a link to the NYT article here. Gifted so it's gratis to read.) I do note that I currently do a few of the exercises mentioned, but sciatica makes the glute bridges, especially the one-legged version, extremely painful. 

Before sciatica, the glute bridges were a pleasant way to stretch the hips and glutes. Now, it's a matter of how much buzzing, tingling pain I can put up with... Once I change positions or stand up, then the pain dissipates. I'm happy that all this has been intermittent. I hope this eventually heals into dormancy. That'd be nice!

I'm curious to see how I fare today since it'll be just about all cardio, with breaks for pull-ups. I did manage to finally get past 2.8 on the elliptical. Yaaay! And I got my pull-ups done. I figure getting roughly a dozen reps a few times should count for something. Trudged on the step machine... loving the timer aspect because it's one less thing I have to pay attention to! I try a different cross-trainer and skip the cool down, just because. By this time, I'm drenched and tired and feeling a tad gross. 

There was a Senior class earlier, but the a/c isn't on when I get to the Aerobics Room. I flip one of the box fans on and the room feels cooler immediately. I make a choice to skip all the movements that aggravate my sciatica. It's not doing me any good to do exercises that cause me so much pain. Besides, I suffered through those yesterday so it's not like I'm completely skipping out...

6 Sept 11:52-1:46

Friday— All Cardio

3rd Day! Dead Glutes?!

Timolol / sciatica

Precor elliptical #1

Program 2

Time: 30 + 5 (5566)

Distance: 2.83

Cal: 314

Avg Hr: 151, 190-78

New FB: 52-134

HGPU 15 (4 kipping)

Matrix StairMaster (L) 12:41

Manual timer 8+2 cool down

Speed 5 (45-50) / 36-38 (2)

Steps 434

Floors 27

Cal 65

Hr 106

HGPU 13

Life Fitness X-Trainer #5

Program Manual L1

Time: 15 (ditch 3min cool down)

Distance: 1.22

Cal: 111

Avg Hr: 120-124

HGPU 12

20 Hip Bridges -- buzzing numbness starts at hip, skips thigh, clenches calf and foot/toes

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Quick Child’s Pose

Cat stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 20 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Neck stretch / Eye yoga