So Broken...

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ElCodeMonkey
ElCodeMonkey Posts: 2
in Introduce Yourself
Hey everyone. Apparently I already had an account for some reason... Don't remember doing that. Heh.

Well anyway, I'm a severely broken individual at the moment and I really want to fix that. I have a desk job and, if that isn't bad enough, my hobbies also include sitting at a computer be it for programming apps or playing games. I sit, sit, and sit some more. I've done this since I was 5 playing NES.

I'm now running into all kinds of physical issues. Back hurting, neck hurting, etc. When I try to exercise, I tend to simply hurt myself. I've been in and out of Physical Therapy for particular injuries. I don't know what to do! I want to start on my core, but when I do it hurts my back. I tried shaking a half-filled 2-liter bottle of water for an ab workout (physical therapy exercise I learned after hurting my back) and even that hurt my back the next day (in a bad way, not a sore way).

What exercises would you guys recommend for a blob of jelly to begin working on core? I'm not too far overweight, but I'm certainly lacking in the core and flexibility arena. Everything pops and snaps and breaks no matter what I do and I don't know if I should push through it or do something else. Where do I start??

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  • knittnponder
    knittnponder Posts: 1,954 Member
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    I'm no expert and I'm certain others will join in but when I first began exercising I concentrated on walking. It's pretty mild, gets you off your butt and if you walk with good posture will begin helping the core as well as the legs. It's also very easy to increase intensity as you progress just by speeding up a little or moving from flat surfaces like a track to areas with some hills or mild inclines. If you've been sitting forever then you shouldn't expect to be able to jump right into an intense workout routine. I have fibromyalgia and there are days I just can't do the more intense stuff. I figure if I'm up out of my chair moving then it's better than still being on my butt. ;)
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
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    What's your eating like? They say you can never out-train a bad diet, and it's totally true. Start by calculating your TDEE, and eating slightly under that.

    As far as exercise goes, is sounds to me like you tend to jump in too quickly and overexert yourself with too much, too soon. Try something low-impact, like swimming, walking, yoga, or even dancing. Compound lifts like squats and deadlifts are great for strengthening your core, but I wouldn't recommend weights until you get stronger and are less prone to injuries.
  • prettigirl01
    prettigirl01 Posts: 548 Member
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    ive had a desk job for 8 years now and I agree with the person above about walking. that's what I do and although its a slow process it works. good luck
  • Deipneus
    Deipneus Posts: 1,862 Member
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    ive had a desk job for 8 years now and I agree with the person above about walking. that's what I do and although its a slow process it works. good luck
    Yep yep yep
  • serenalesley
    serenalesley Posts: 58 Member
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    Yep, walking is great low-impact cardio.

    Also, don't forget that swimming is an all-over workout during which all of your body is supported by water, so swimming injuries are rare. :)
  • eazy_
    eazy_ Posts: 516 Member
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    Convict conditioning.
  • Okapi42
    Okapi42 Posts: 495 Member
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    One of the best exercises I know for strengthening your core - and which my mother's doctor recommended for her bad office-job back - is horse riding. It's fun, gets you out in the fresh air, and as an added bonus, you make new friends. (An added bonus, providing that you're thus inclined, is that about 90% of the average riding stable's population is female, and they'll fawn all over a guy on a horse...)

    Otherwise, have you considered simply standing more and trying balance-board exercises?
  • asbjrc427
    asbjrc427 Posts: 29 Member
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    Look up Leslie Sansone on youtube. She has walking videos you can do at home, and there are a ton on youtube, so you don't even need to buy any. If you wanted to, though, you can find them at Walmart, I'm pretty sure. They're great, and that's how I started from my very sedentary lifestyle (all of my hobbies are on the computer, and I also work in an office). You can pick the distance, and how intense you make the various moves she adds in (side steps, kick backs, etc.).
  • dramagirl1
    dramagirl1 Posts: 27
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    Walking is definitely the way to go! When I first started I could barely walk a block without my lower back hurting. You just have to make sure you have some rest days in there and after a week or two you'll start to build back muscle and you'll be able to walk farther and longer. Eating healthy and starting to walk is the best.
  • callandert
    callandert Posts: 26 Member
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    Hi there...for years I have frequented a gym (mostly cardio) and avoided weights and strength training as like you...I had no strength in my core and a weak back and so favoured it. Then I figured enough was enough...I wanted to get rid of my aches and pains and signed up with a trainer. I then started counting calories on MFP and haven't looked back.

    Any exercise my trainer gave me to do I was certain that it was going to put my back out or make me feel horrible the next day. Much to my surprise...it only made me feel better. My back has gotten stronger and I have lost 20lbs.

    It is amazing what our bodies will do if we JUST DO IT! Of course, start out small and slowly but surely you will feel the difference with strength training and weights!

    Good luck with your journey!
  • yychen01
    yychen01 Posts: 31 Member
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    have you tried swimming? Your body works harder even if you're just sitting or floating in water. It is very low impact. I would try to get a gym membership where there is a pool. So you can start by walking 5 minutes a day and sitting in water for 10 minutes, then gradually add 5 minutes every few days or week. :) You'll get there! The biggest challenge is making up your mind and just doing it.

    I just got up and started running yesterday and I felt GREAT afterwards. Don't overdo it the first few times or you might get discouraged. But I believe you'll grow to love the after exercise/working out feeling soon!
  • larryewing92
    larryewing92 Posts: 10 Member
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    chiming in on this.. Walking! I love it. I'm a couch potato/gamer/desk jockey and weight lifting makes my wrists hurt so bad i can't lift. WAlking is really helpful for me to control my blood sugar since diabetic and my dog now gets the benefits of going with me twice a day on 2 mile walks in the neighborhood. Invest in a good pair of walking shoes and you are good to go. I went to a foot specialist to figure out what type of shoe i should be wearing before i started and learned i need a neutral shoe. I had been wearing the wrong shoes for years. Walking feels so much better with the correct foot wear.
  • Sarra33
    Sarra33 Posts: 30
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    Yes. Walk. Start small, park a few extra blocks away from work, or at the far end of the parking lot.

    Get a pedometer and see how many steps you take on an average day. 10,000 is supposed to be the benchmark but don't even aim for that at first. See what you are at now and then try to add 100 steps every day until you get up to 10,000.

    I run 12 km a week and have a fairly active lifestyle and I don't even do 10,000 steps a day but knowing where you are and increasing that amount slowly is a great start.
  • whitebalance
    whitebalance Posts: 1,654 Member
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    From one hunched-over geek to another: Yes, do the walking, like others have said, without a heavy laptop on your back. But most importantly, start that core training with your back and shoulders instead of your abs. Your posture is almost certainly too far forward; you can pull it back and up by stretching your pectoral muscles and strengthening your trapezius, lats, and deltoids. For the stretch, lie flat on a bench and put your arms out to the sides, letting your hands ease down to the floor -- or grab a wall at the corner and lean forward with your arm stretched behind you. For the strengthening, you could try rows (machine or barbell or dumbbell or elastic band or water bottle), and any rear deltoid exercise you can do.

    In terms of weightlifting, don't do deadlifts yet; you would round your back and injure yourself. Squats would be better, once you get to that point. Most lifters here will tell you to do compound lifts instead of using machines, but some weight machine training might help you by forcing a little better form on you.

    A young friend of mine was in your position a few years ago, so bad he was diagnosed with TMJ. I gave him something like this for Christmas:
    http://www.amazon.com/SPRI-ES503R-Xertube-Resistance-Purple/dp/B0000AJ05D
    He used it facing away from the door and got pretty instant relief from his neck, back, and jaw ache.

    For myself, I like the rowing machine at the gym (the cardio kind, not the Cybex row, although the latter is also good for this). The assisted pull-up also helps; use a wide grip and start with a very high assist weight. And the Cybex fly/rear delt machine (in the rear delt position) is a godsend for hunched-over geeks. It feels soooo good.

    ETA: Pilates mat is also good for core and can be done at home with no extra equipment, and most exercises can be modified to be very gentle for a beginner. You might like that option a lot, but be sure not to shirk the back-strengthening moves. It's not all about the abs, especially for a hunched-over geek. Also, if The Hundred intimidates you or makes you want to quit -- just skip it, like I do, and I promise the world won't end. ;)
  • ElCodeMonkey
    ElCodeMonkey Posts: 2
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    Thanks for all the replies, everyone! Lots of great advice. I should note that for a few weeks (maybe 4 months ago) I was doing a lot of running (45 minutes at 5mph every other day) in hopes that it would help but I think my posture was too poor so it didn't seem to help any. It probably started making things worse even. I stopped because my left shoulder started getting too much to handle while running. It starts getting a tingling electric feeling. I would get that while sitting with my arm propped on the desk too. Running also aggravated my neck more which constantly feels tense and causes me to move my head all around like I'm turretic trying to relieve the stress. I've got crazy TMJ and my upper back is always popping along with my lower back often hurting if I don't focus on posture. I went to Physical Therapy for it all but it either didn't help much or it's just going to take a heck of a lot longer and slower than I hoped for. It's hard to know if I'm progressing! Something like walking is frustrating because I want to get down and do something difficult so as to get faster results. Perhaps there is no "trying hard" though. Perhaps I just need to "do something" for a long period and wait... and wait... But again, it's hard to know if I'm doing the right stuff then. I guess, however, I can't go wrong with doing something so long as it's not making things worse. And after quite a few months perhaps I'll notice a difference...

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