Mother, Full time desk job, with lower back pain

MariahMichaels
MariahMichaels Posts: 48 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hello, I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm married to a wonderful supportive guy for the past 5 years and a mother to a beautiful 2 year old girl. I work a desk job full time and take care of my daughter in the evenings, my husband works full time and takes care of our daughter during the day. I'm looking forward to taking this journey will the rest of you, I've enjoyed reading the success stories and hope to be able to post mine in the near future. I have lower back pain and have to do low impact workouts, so if there is anyone else out there who faces the same challenges I would love to have a buddy to trade advice and encouragement. Right now I am doing the elliptical for 1 hour 3-4 times a week and walking (briskly, avg. 5mph) for 1 hour 3 times a week.

Start Date: January 4, 2013
AGE: 32
HEIGHT: 5'7"
SW: 197
CW: 188
GW: 155-165 (I will be concentrating on building muscle and becoming toned, not worried about the end number on the scale)

Replies

  • dani_1977
    dani_1977 Posts: 557 Member
    Mother .. check

    Fulltime desk job ...check

    lower back pain.. check ( i have spondylosis )

    every pound of weight you have on your upper body ="s to 4 lbs on your back and knees.

    also besure to stretch your hamstringd throughly ( back of your upper leg) .. tight hamstrings are a big part of back issues.

    Stick with the elliptical .. it is very easy on your joints.


    I started out in 2008 at 239lbs with severe back pain. When I got down to 180 the pain was hardley there. Now that I gain some weight back... its there again, just not as bad.


    Keep up your work... it will pay off in the long run.
  • tom_olech
    tom_olech Posts: 139 Member
    Do you know what the cause of the lower back pain is? Because then you can do simple lower back workouts to help strengthen the injured/painful area?
  • PamelaGatorMom
    PamelaGatorMom Posts: 348 Member
    Feel free to add me, I started in Jan 2013 as well and yes I'm a working mom at the desk most of the day. In addition to lower back pain I also deal with severe sciatic pain.
  • eyvindur
    eyvindur Posts: 19 Member
    I get (mild) back pains, but my main problem is my knee. I really love to run, but every now and then I get stupid and overdo it and my knee suffers. Funny thing is my back tends to get better when I do a lot of running.

    Anyway, what I tend to do when my knee is acting up is focus on strength exercises, especially gentle ones that strengthen my knees and core (careful squats and push-ups are especially helpful), and swimming. Swimming is the single most effective form of fat burning (I read somewhere - it has to do with temperature, apparently), and the impact doesn't get much lower.

    Good luck. You'll get healthier and better in no time.
  • tom_olech
    tom_olech Posts: 139 Member
    Mother .. check

    Fulltime desk job ...check

    lower back pain.. check ( i have spondylosis )

    every pound of weight you have on your upper body ="s to 4 lbs on your back and knees.

    also besure to stretch your hamstringd throughly ( back of your upper leg) .. tight hamstrings are a big part of back issues.

    Stick with the elliptical .. it is very easy on your joints.


    I started out in 2008 at 239lbs with severe back pain. When I got down to 180 the pain was hardley there. Now that I gain some weight back... its there again, just not as bad.


    Keep up your work... it will pay off in the long run.

    Just FYI, tight hamstrings are big part of back issues, but it depends what the cause of the pain is. If you suffer from excess lumbar lordosis (curvature), then tight hamstrings are NOT the issue; it is likely your hamstrings are not strong enough. If your suffer from reduced lumbar lordosis (a.k.a. flatback), then you likely have tight hamstrings that need to be stretched
  • jeffrodgers1
    jeffrodgers1 Posts: 991 Member
    Desk job - Check

    Father - Check

    Grandfather - Check

    Inoperable Herniated disk in L2 Vertabrae - Check

    Distance runner - Check

    One of the things that leads to increased back pain is inactivity... so I keep moving. And if I'm not moving, I end up in pain very quickly. (Such that I can only be in bed for 5-6 hours before the pain appears).

    When I first started my journey, I weighed 325...I lost over 100 pounds and kept most of it off (did gain back 25 last year when I broke my leg...:cry: ) But am coming back stronger than ever... My goal is to do one marathon per year.

    Feel free to add me.
  • janalayn
    janalayn Posts: 510 Member
    My kids are grown now but I work a desk job and have sciatica. Make sure that your chair at work is ergonomically correct so that your posture doesn't contribute to your back pain. Also, try hula hooping. It is low impact but it works your core muscles which can help with back pain. (My mom is 78 with spinal stenosis and osteo-arthritis of the spine and she hoops).
  • dawn_eichert
    dawn_eichert Posts: 487 Member
    Mother - yes, Full Time desk job - yes, lower back pain - sporatically plus knee issues.
    I am 5'5" with a goal of around 150 at this point and reevaluate based on how it is going with toning ect.. when I get there. Feel free to add me.
  • Melo1966
    Melo1966 Posts: 881 Member
    Good for you decideing to get healthy, I spent my 30's not giving a damn and got fat.
    You are off to a great start with your workouts. Try adding some hand weights and squats.
    Yoga is Good. My 3 year old granddaughter calls my yoga mat a dancey dance pad.

    My stats
    Slightly older and menopausal with a few more problems
    Age: 46
    Height: 5'2"
    SW: 239
    CW: 183
    GW: 135

    Mother .. check
    Grandmother..check
    Fulltime desk job ...check
    lower back pain.. check
    knee pain..check
    shoulder pain..check

    I have upped my workouts recently training for upcoming 5Ks' and am losing again after a plateau.
    I don't seem to lose weight unless I workout. My body just shuts down on low calories.
    I have an extremely low resting heart rate (38-42)
    Somedays are better than others with the pain, never pain free.
    Heat, Ibuprophen, Alcohol usually not all at the same time unless I feel like I am going to die.
  • amcassey
    amcassey Posts: 16
    A year ago I had a ruptured disc that required surgery so I know back pain. I have the spent the last year working at getting my back stronger which I never realized meant that my core had to be strong to support the back. I highly suggest trying yoga and pilates to help get your core strong. It's also an excellent way to gain lean muscle mass! Good luck to you. Feel free to add me as a friend.
  • oneman1
    oneman1 Posts: 11 Member
    I piled on the weight 3years ago after herniating 3 lumbar discs, and only now suffer from lower back pain occasionally, but it did take 2 years for the pain to decrease. I found a regular Pilates class really helpful in strengthening my core and improving my flexibility. Also now do regular cycle rides, usually just gentle rides to improve my core stability, and once a week having a longer ride of between 90 - 120 mins. Started using myfitnesspal 5 weeks ago and have lost 15 pounds so far.
    Feel free to add me.
  • ddky
    ddky Posts: 381 Member
    I also suffered from low back pain. Not chronic, but a couple of times a month it would act up for 2,3 or more days. Sometime I could hardly move. This went on for years and seemed to be getting worse. I finally tried a chiropractor and it did work. Although I did go through a couple of chiros before I found a good one. I haven't had an episode for probably 2 years. Another bonus is that he also helps when my hip starts hurting. Just passing along my experience. Good luck.
  • holylucy
    holylucy Posts: 38
    Check, Check, Check, Check, Check!!!!! Please feel free to add me! :-)
  • Resa52
    Resa52 Posts: 182 Member
    Mother of a nearly 3 year old. Full time job that is a desk job 70% of the time. Lower back pain that prevents high impact exercise.

    Adding you now :o)
  • cicisiam
    cicisiam Posts: 491 Member
    bump
  • shandi_b
    shandi_b Posts: 153 Member
    Feel free to add me. I have a full time desk job, compressed disc in my lower back with a bulge that causes sciatica when I am not careful. Also have a dodgy right knee. Mother of a 6 year old boy and have been married for almost 17 years.
    Lots of weight to lose....hane lost 9.1kg so far and have about 33kg to go.
    I get out and walk most lunch times and do Pilates once a week, trying to find time to increase this to the c25k program on the treadmill at home at nights.
    My weight loss is slow.....but I want it to be a lasting change not a fad. :)

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