40 minute walk with the dog - Awesome, cool weather this morning
Gym - a focus on muscle confusion today (Treadmill sprints, row, bike, core workout, row) I was all over the place today. I believe I burned at least 400 calories in the gym.
Something I've been dealing with for a long time has been lower back pain. It's started bothering me in my 30's. There are a myriad of reasons (most likley a combo between picking children up and down as well as all the falls and landing on my knees when I used to skateboard on the half pipes). As I've gotten older it tends to bother me more and more and it's something that I deal with pretty much on a daily basis. Not only do I go up a size in clothes when I gain weight but my back reacts quickly to the increased weight. Here's a list of aches and pains: plain old pain in the lower back, stiff back almost every morning, I can easily throw it out by "over" lifting or not lifting correctly, pain if I sit for long periods during the day, pain when I stand for a long time. That's the short list. Back pain is one of the most common reasons people go to the doctor or miss work which I can say has been true in the past for me. One time it was so bad I was on the floor and had to crawl around.
I have found that exercising (and oddly enough running) has really helped my back issues. For example, since I started the diet and exercise routine and have stayed consistent my issues have been almost non-existent. Outside of being sore from helping my friends move last weekend I really have not had much back pain at all. In addition to the exercise I've also gotten back into my stretching routine. As always, I'm not a Doctor so if you're experiencing significant back pain and it's not going away or causing other issues that would seem unrelated like new bowel or bladder problem or pain or throbbing in the abdomen, or even a fever then you need to STOP reading this blog and go see a Dr. ASAP. Here is a good article from the Mayo Clinic on "back pain".
Along with the exercise and belly reduction I'm stretching and I do some excises that are specific to my lower back issues. Here are some tips that I follow (I usually do a brief stretch routine before I go to the gym or go for a run. I also go through a routine before bed and that seems to help).
- Mayo Clinic Steps - Back Excersise Slide Show
- Overall Body Stretching - www.knowyourback.org
My view this morning at 6am walking the dog
This is what it looks like when your feet are sprinting at 9.0
My Sasquatch treadmill selfie
Thought for the day: I'd really like to be at 160 by Saturday and I'm looking forward to time with family this weekend for the birthday lunch at Blue Mountain Brew.
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