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Need some advice to get moving again PLEASE!

j0705
j0705 Posts: 185
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi i have been doing insanity for a few weeks , ive been struggling physically as i have a bad back, prolapsed discs in the lower lumbar. ..and its gone again :sad: well its landed me back to square one.. stuck on the sofa cant walk across the room hardly never mind prepare food for anyone so it take away or no one eats.. this is how i gained the weight in the first place. ive just lost 2 and a half stone last year and gained a stone back this past month :sad:

i need advice on how to get moving again (dont bother sayng go to your gp because they try to blame my being over weight and just tell me to loose it and then come back for surgery when im under 12 stone :angry: ) .

HELP!

Replies

  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    If at all possible, find an indoor pool to workout in. I did my physical therapy in the pool, and it was amazing. I met folks who also had disabilities of all sorts who took up the pool because it's just that great when injured.

    I can do more things now, but my back problem is neck and parts of the upper back. I don't know much about lumbar issues, so I don't know if what I do would be good or not. Belly dance abdominal, chest and slow drills (like bellyrolls and undulations) was my next step in my rehab, along with yoga. Definitely yoga (I have to wear a neck brace). Be careful but keep trying to find something after your bad flare-up settles down. Good luck!
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Why is a person with your medical history attempting to do insanity?
  • empressichel
    empressichel Posts: 730 Member
    I would have thought that insanity is too high impact for someone with disc problems.
    I have disc problems with my lower back, and when it 'goes' the best thing is to actually try and keep moving as much as you can.
    I avoid all high impact exercise, I wouldn't even attempt to do anything like running, jumping jacks etc as I know my back won't like it, but there are ways to find workouts round it.
    Definitely try and add in some core training to give your problem area more stability.
    You could try seeing your gp and ask for a referral to a physio as they should be able to help give you ways to manage the pain and also advise and what exercise is best for you.
    Good luck!
  • sue_stef
    sue_stef Posts: 194 Member
    Start out small no reason to try to kill your back doing something that intense
    walking or swimming are the best things for starting out
    swimming especially if you have a bad back
  • DR2501
    DR2501 Posts: 661 Member
    Why is a person with your medical history attempting to do insanity?

    This, definitely. It seems to me that you've pushed it too far.

    When I injured my back the best thing was to keep moving, as the more I rested it the worse it got! Try a pool to begin with as someone else suggested?
  • michaelablueeyes
    michaelablueeyes Posts: 38 Member
    Hi i have been doing insanity for a few weeks , ive been struggling physically as i have a bad back, prolapsed discs in the lower lumbar. ..and its gone again :sad: well its landed me back to square one.. stuck on the sofa cant walk across the room hardly never mind prepare food for anyone so it take away or no one eats.. this is how i gained the weight in the first place. ive just lost 2 and a half stone last year and gained a stone back this past month :sad:

    i need advice on how to get moving again (dont bother sayng go to your gp because they try to blame my being over weight and just tell me to loose it and then come back for surgery when im under 12 stone :angry: ) .

    HELP!

    Id stay clear of insanity and try light impact or swimming etc
  • j0705
    j0705 Posts: 185
    Why is a person with your medical history attempting to do insanity?

    This, definitely. It seems to me that you've pushed it too far.

    When I injured my back the best thing was to keep moving, as the more I rested it the worse it got! Try a pool to begin with as someone else suggested?

    i seen the fast results others got from doing the intense workouts and basicaly thought ill try anything to get back in shape asap. Sitting on my sofa resting day and night is not me, i like hard work and having a life, but mostly im useless like this to my daughter whos in a wheelchair and cant do anything for herself. Doctors just give me epidurals steroids and pain meds that knock me out.

    Thank you ive taken your advice on board walking yoga and swimming on the agenda :wink:
  • lunula71
    lunula71 Posts: 13
    Yeah, absolutely agree with others here, no clue why you'd be doing Insanity with your kind of issues. I've had back surgery, too, and 3 knee surgeries. I do high-level Zumba 2-3x per week and a cardio-strength or total strength class 1-2x per week. I have to modify moves all the time because I can't twist and pound on my knees like a lot of other people do. I started small, doing DVDs and taking low-level classes until I felt in-shape enough to go to the level 3 classes and modify when I need. I also do a lot of walking, especially when I strain my back (which still happens a few times per year). I tried some of the pool classes, but really disliked them - I do get in for laps on occasion, as well.

    Pilates is a good one, too. Great for strength training and is a great core workout. I have to modify there, too, but all the instructors I've encountered are great at helping me (just have to tell them ahead of time that you'll need modifications).
  • sheermomentum
    sheermomentum Posts: 827 Member
    I have agree with the others: Insanity is too high impact for those of us with spine/joint problems, unfortunately.

    Not sure if you have found this to be true, but in my experience, when my back was really in spasm, the best thing for it (if not for the rest of me) was rest and meds, until the pain is substantially gone. If you CAN manage to sit and move a bit without pain, then maybe you could try a little work with some dumbells or bands for your arms, chest and upper back. That would at least get you moving and work some muscles, so you don't feel completely like a couch potato again. But if this hurts, then I would say don't do it.

    Let your own body be your guide. Remember, pain is SUPPOSED to be warning - that's why its there. Exercising in water is the lowest impact, but if you don't have a pool, then biking and the eiliptical trainer are both lower impact than walking (although the stationary bike has been known to pinch me a bit in my lower spine because of the forward-leaning position and bcuz my issue was in the lowest 2 discs). If you don't have access to those, maybe you can make sure you have walking shoes with really good impact absorption, or else there are some low-impact routines out there that require no equipment. (Search "low impact exercise with no equipment"). Here are two to get you going:

    http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/home-workout-routine-low-impact-hiit/
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYtcl2PbMyI
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
    i seen the fast results others got from doing the intense workouts and basicaly thought ill try anything to get back in shape asap. Sitting on my sofa resting day and night is not me, i like hard work and having a life, but mostly im useless like this to my daughter whos in a wheelchair and cant do anything for herself. Doctors just give me epidurals steroids and pain meds that knock me out.

    Thank you ive taken your advice on board walking yoga and swimming on the agenda :wink:

    Yeah you have to remember that exercise and dieting are meant to make you better, not just kick your *kitten*.

    You've got to be patient with this stuff, and right now it seems you need to rest and eat a deficit... and wait. Otherwise you're just going to hurt yourself again right?
  • j0705
    j0705 Posts: 185
    I have agree with the others: Insanity is too high impact for those of us with spine/joint problems, unfortunately.

    Not sure if you have found this to be true, but in my experience, when my back was really in spasm, the best thing for it (if not for the rest of me) was rest and meds, until the pain is substantially gone. If you CAN manage to sit and move a bit without pain, then maybe you could try a little work with some dumbells or bands for your arms, chest and upper back. That would at least get you moving and work some muscles, so you don't feel completely like a couch potato again. But if this hurts, then I would say don't do it.

    Let your own body be your guide. Remember, pain is SUPPOSED to be warning - that's why its there. Exercising in water is the lowest impact, but if you don't have a pool, then biking and the eiliptical trainer are both lower impact than walking (although the stationary bike has been known to pinch me a bit in my lower spine because of the forward-leaning position and bcuz my issue was in the lowest 2 discs). If you don't have access to those, maybe you can make sure you have walking shoes with really good impact absorption, or else there are some low-impact routines out there that require no equipment. (Search "low impact exercise with no equipment"). Here are two to get you going:

    http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/home-workout-routine-low-impact-hiit/
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYtcl2PbMyI

    Thanks i will have a look at those links ;)
  • j0705
    j0705 Posts: 185
    i seen the fast results others got from doing the intense workouts and basicaly thought ill try anything to get back in shape asap. Sitting on my sofa resting day and night is not me, i like hard work and having a life, but mostly im useless like this to my daughter whos in a wheelchair and cant do anything for herself. Doctors just give me epidurals steroids and pain meds that knock me out.

    Thank you ive taken your advice on board walking yoga and swimming on the agenda :wink:

    Yeah you have to remember that exercise and dieting are meant to make you better, not just kick your *kitten*.

    You've got to be patient with this stuff, and right now it seems you need to rest and eat a deficit... and wait. Otherwise you're just going to hurt yourself again right?

    yes your right but i just end up always having to rest because everything i've tried ends up with me hurting again :/ looking at some of the replies here though i can see where ive gone wrong previously :)
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    taking it slow and doing something more body friendly is better than sitting on the couch doing nothing.

    slow down.
    rest
    try something else.
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
    yes your right but i just end up always having to rest because everything i've tried ends up with me hurting again :/ looking at some of the replies here though i can see where ive gone wrong previously :)

    Right now I'm in physical therapy for some insistent tendonitis in my quads and elbows. I self prescribed five weeks of 0% gym time and it drove me nuts. I got back in the gym starting light and ramping up... problem was still there. Now I'm doing physical therapy. So believe me I understand. Using the gas pedal in my car aggrivates my quads now...

    I know how frustrating it can be to sit still or change (I'm doing 75 lb quarter squats once a week...), but see a competent doctor and stick to the plan to get better. Ignoring the problem or aggrivating it, once you know better, becomes foolish and it's not going to serve you anything going forward.
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
    You've got to get rid of the short term "I want results yesterday type of attitude". Start thinking about what will get you where you want in the long term. Hint, it's definitely not going to be pushing yourself to the point that you have to spend a few weeks (or even months) on the couch. Build up slowly and gradually with a lower intensity exercise and continue to make it more challanging as your body adapts. It can be frustrating but not as frustrating as being sidelined with injury
  • j0705
    j0705 Posts: 185
    very true.. taking it easy and counting calories then it is :/ feeling miserable and very lonely now :(
  • Smashley1947
    Smashley1947 Posts: 129
    Sorry about your injury

    As with many other commenters I highly recommend swimming and low impact activites. If your place has stairs try climbing them. Walking slow and trying to keep proper form. It helps with muscles and tendons connected to your pelvis and knees. (this is actual advice I got from a physio therapist).

    Doing light free weight exercises will be excellent as well. Also muscle burns fat.

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