New Core Muscles Post Back Surgery

>>  Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Before my back injury I was the fittest I'd been since I was a teenager. In fact the amount of weight training I was doing was probably partly responsible for the injury. 

Since my last MRI I have gained some confidence back, the consultant told me that I'm not at any more risk than anyone else from injury.  It is safe to be training.  I do still suffer from back pain and mild sciatica, although I have cancelled my root block injection that was due this week, I just don't think my current level of pain warrants it. But I'm still not prepared to risk weights and crunches yet.

But I am wondering if it's time to move to another level of self help.  Strong core muscles are good for bad backs.  One school of thought is that weak muscles can actually lead to back pain, so maybe I'm now stuck in a vicious cycle.  Good core muscles do lead to better posture and the wii fit tells me that my posture is positively rubbish.

So it's time to motivate myself into doing something about it.  I've started to use my slendertone belt again.  It's a pain, literally, but it does help me to stand up straighter so I know it's doing something to those muscles in there but it's not enough alone.  I'm doing the 30 day plank challenge, which is a challenge. Once that starts to get me somewhere I'll add a second 30 day challenge of some sort.  If you've got one you know about leave it in the comments for me.  I need a challenge, I can't just do home stretches and reps daily, it's a bore chore and I end up just not doing it.

I'm still running, well I call it running, a real runner would call it a short distance jog.  But it's running compared to 30 minutes in front of Eastenders.  I'm back to 5k in 30 minutes but I don't want to go any faster, I think the load on my knees and back is too much.  Walking is the best exercise there is, walking up hill, but it takes time I just don't have and in the winter it's also a bore as I can't get out into the fields.

Here is my before picture for you.  It's time to tighten that core.

I'm a remarkably impatient person when it comes to this sort of thing, so here is my after photo.

Haven't I done well?!  No, it's not photo-shopped.  They are taken within minutes of each other, so let that be a warning to you when you are looking at your Facebook side bar sales pitches.

It does show what difference a good posture makes, and if I want that posture to be there naturally without a suck it in effort then I guess I'm going to have to work for it.

I'm looking fit enough on the outside but it's time to sort the inside out too.

I need a new core.

This week's gallery theme is 'new'.


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