Frustrated with injuries and lack of progress

Yeah, every time I start to feel like I'm establishing a routine something goes wrong. Kids get sick, I get sick, Hubby's work schedule goes crazy, I get some weird injury. Like yesterday, during my walk I got a HUGE nasty blister on my heel. I tried to put a bandage on it and keep going (not smart I know) and ended up ripping a huge chuck of flesh off. Then, thinking I needed to let it "dry out" I left it uncovered most of the day, so it hurt like crazy. I've got it covered today, trying to take it easy.

When I first started this journey, I managed to strain an abdominal muscle kick boxing. Had to take it easy for 6 weeks. A few months later I strained a muscle on top of my foot?? I was told it's a runners injury, which is hilarious, because I have NEVER run in my life until about a month ago. And in almost two years I have managed to loose a grand total of 7 pounds. But, I like to think I have healthier eating habits. And, for the first time in my life, I started running. So hopefully I am at least healthier?

Those women have worked very hard for those numbers, I can guarantee you. With that said, I'm no doctor but dead lifts are good for strengthening your back. Please, get with your doctor first before you decide to do them, and then get with a trainer or someone who can check your form.

Me too. I herniated a disk in my back last summer (L3/4). Tons of therapy and it's still not healed.
My doctor said no physical excercise until it's healed. I didn't listen and re-injured it and had to start
at square one. It's really frustrating because I used to be so fit. I can do some upper body work, but even walking for
more than 1/2 hour is agonizing. And it is very hard to shed weight without the exercise.

Injury avoidance has become about the single most important part of my exercise plan.

I suffered back problems for decades until I finally started spending enough time stretching and doing light weight rehabilitative exercises recommended by my physical therapist. By doing, I mean every single time I go to the gym, 5-7 days a week. These "injury rehab/prevention" activities take up about 25% of my gym time.

It may seem like a lot to do, but it pays in the long run. Beyond healing/avoiding injuries, as we get older, flexibility and mobility are crucial to health and to enjoying an active life.

You mentioned you do BodyPump and then women who you hear about squatting much higher weights - one thing you need to realize is that the squat track in Pump and squatting in the weight room are two different things. In BodyPump I can do the large plates (5kg/11 lbs - 22 lbs total) but yesterday I did one set of front squats that were 85 lbs, then two at 75 lbs when I realized I loaded too much weight! Basically Pump is a cardio/endurance class, it is not a strength training class. I encourage you to venture into the weight room. After doing Pump you should have your form down, now instead of 5 minutes/100 squats go do 3 sets of 6-12.

Check out this article: http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/pump-fiction

Good luck with your back problems.

I am dealing with a couple of nagging injuries and it's really frustrating. I'm going to see an active release therapy practitioner (who also is a chiropractor) since that has helped me in the past. I get tight muscles that cause imbalances, and ART, while brutally painful, has helped in the past. You also may want to think about strength and stretching that will specifically help your lower back- body pump classes usually are more for overall working out rather than really focusing on specific areas. Lifting heavy is a great idea but I'd be careful to work into it slowly so you don't get injured again.

Would a chiroprator suggest exercises?

It depends on the practice, but if they are sports focused they should be able to or have physical therapists in the office that could help. The place I'm going has done a lot of work with athletes so they have specific rehab programs- I'll let you know how it goes!

I see a chiropractor regularly- and have since I was about 8 years old. They should always recommend stretching and basic exercises that can help improve your condition...

Me too. I herniated a disk in my back last summer (L3/4). Tons of therapy and it's still not healed.
My doctor said no physical excercise until it's healed. I didn't listen and re-injured it and had to start
at square one. It's really frustrating because I used to be so fit. I can do some upper body work, but even walking for
more than 1/2 hour is agonizing. And it is very hard to shed weight without the exercise.

you might want to get a second opinion regarding your back. herniated disks don't heal.

The main pain caused by a herniated disk is the herniated portion typically causes pressure on the nerves. Building strength helps, but it doesn't make that herniation go away. As long as that herniation is there, you will have recurring problems. You might do some therapy and stretch, and feel better, but then you will turn the wrong way while unpacking groceries or even taking a shower, and you'll be on your back again with your knees up wondering what happened.

The therapy you are in should be about building core strength, which frankly is physical exercise as the doctor has recommended against. So, a bit of a contradiction there.

Back surgery sounds scary, but micro discectomy's are pretty routine these days and in most cases patients are home the next day. There might be financial blockades to this, like lack of insurance, but if those don't exist, you really might want to consider this. I have no regrets.

If surgery simply isn't an option, you should be stretching every day, if not twice, and should be doing exercises that help build core strength. If the therapy you are doing consists of traction, ultrasound, and heat pads, you also might reconsider where you are getting the physical therapy. Those are pretty archaic approaches to disk problems.

You may have to accept that you can't do hard core strength building, body ripping, type exercise any more. I've been doing some body weight stuff for a while now, and when I started P90X, I strained my back. So, I'd love to do it again, and look like some of those folks that have done it, but it isn't worth it to me. I have to accept some limitations.

Some things that will help....

Walking! Stand up straight, suck in that gut, and walk. Then walk farther. Then walk up hills, then more hills.

If you have a pool available, walking in the pool. Yes, pace back and forth. The resistance is great. Swimming is good too, but it can cause a strain on your back if you are strong in the middle. I got to the point where I was jogging in the water... yeah, it was pretty funny looking, sort of like slow motion running like in a dream... but it really worked.

Water aerobics - if your gym has this option, you might consider doing this. Water offers great opportunities to build up strength through resistance with nearly zero impact on joints and stuff.

Lifting, dead lifts, etc. - I wouldn't touch any of this stuff without proper supervision


My initial back injury was treated with heating pads and ultrasound. Then they finally did a MRI and therapy transitioned to traction. At the end of a year (workmans comp case) I was no better than when I started. I dismissed my Dr, and lawyer, and the insurance company sent me to a sports medicine outfit. I was under the knife within two weeks, then I was in strength building PT. The walking, and pool walking, was something I added towards the end as I was improving (at their approval of course). Sports medicine facilities tend to be a little more progressive with treatments and they didn't mess around with that traction BS. They might of done ultrasound, but only as an ancillary therapy

have to disagree.

once herniated, always herniated. They don't magically fix themselves.

edit: i guess it depends on what is considered "healed"

i had the same thing happen to me, 4 years in physical therapy.

dont do body pump - you dont need to be lifting anything for speed.

Go slow. Get comfortable and extremely familiar with your own body weight and the best thing about weights to get in tshape - you can do them very slow and at your own pace.