The Plan

I exercised yesterday. Well, at least I tried, but having a back injury isn't exactly conductive to exercising. I didn't jump (not that I could jump) into this willy-nilly; I did research on what types of exercises someone like me (over 50 and crippled) could do. I'd hoped my research would discover that all the professionals would recommend rest, lots and lots of rest. Sadly, it seems exercise is just about the finest thing one can do for just about any back injury. Imagine that!

So, thus armed with all this information I developed a quasi professional exercise plan that supposedly will lessen my pain in the long run. It definitely must be in the "long run" because it hurt like HE - double hockey sticks!! It involves a series of stretching, flexibility training and core building.

For those of you who have been under a rock I'd like to inform you that core building is the quintessential exercise. It is the basis behind a strong back. The core or abdominal muscles ( both external and internal) support the back so, if you build a strong core, viola', you get a strong back! If you have a strong back all other exercises are easier and you're unlikely to ever injure your back. So, I take it that I didn't have a strong core prior to injuring my back?? So, tell me if I'm wrong here...but, building a strong core now seems a little like closing the barn doors AFTER the horse got out!!

Nope. The professionals all agree that core building even after a back injury can aid the return to "reasonable" health. What "reasonable health" means to my back, only time will tell. So, core building it is. For you younger gals, I'd suggest you seriously consider doing your core building NOW rather than wait until you're a half century old!

The "Plan" is to do these exercises every morning for a couple of weeks then add some cardio via the stationary bike, swimming or walking. Although I'd love to walk, currently it's far too difficult and I need to use a walker so, I'll have to bike or swim until I get stronger or pain-free enough to walk. My daughters don't know this yet, but I intend to involve them in my little swimming venture.

I've only exercised one day and I have never been one of those exercise nuts; you know the ones who get that glazed look when they talk about getting in the "zone". The only zone I'm truly interested in is the handicap one by Dairy Queen, but I digress... So, I will have to give myself a daily pep talk before I dig out my mat and start sweating to the "oldies"!

In the interest of feeling better so, I can pursue my Eden, I guess I must might the bullet and build a strong core. Yesterday was a start and hopefully I can continue to face adding pain to the pain until that day when I can proclaim, "Exercise is the BEST thing I could ever do for a back injury!" Yea!