The back went when I fell down a flight of stairs at 18, it’s inoperable and I’ve been told it can’t really get any worse. I know what sets it off and just avoid that. If anything weight lifting has provided the greatest relief from it. 10 years or so ago before I took up weights at all it was brutal.
Cycling is fine while the core strength is there but when it isn’t my back hurts like hell after 20mins and trying to cycle more doesn’t seem to help.
I don’t really struggle with the diet too much, I’m heavy and always have been. I was 100+ kg at 16-17 doing karate 3 times a week and swimming miles on end.
After all the Judo and cycling I hovered around 120kg and never got much lower.
Right now I’m 135kg, probably 3-4years of weight gain/not being active enough. I’m working on the diet and down a few kg, but really I worry about overall fitness and cardio health more than anything.
I will never sleep 8 hours, total insomniac, regular exercise helps but I still have bouts. Not an issue when I’m in a good mood, stressed not a chance.
Yep core strength is a win for lower back probs. As is hip and mid spine mobility. The ‘Yoga for big bastards’ I posted a while back would be good for this.
You probably know this already but have you tried different kinds of bike? Some road bikes can have a serious saddle to handlebar drop which puts a lot of strain on the lower back.
I’m 6’4 which makes finding bikes quite challenging. Having said that the forward lean does put strain on my back, but if I sit more upright I find any bumps much more jarring and painful. Its mostly just being bike fit, I was doing fine until a car knocked me off and I didn’t ride for 6 months, then I lost interest.
Get a retul professional bike fit before buying a new bike. They’ll advise which models and sizes to purchase, then set it up to aid comfort and performance.
Started doing land mine training for a bit of a change and the new movement angles it requires. It’s good for doing compound lifts and keeping your back and hips in the right place whilst under load. Safe way of doing squats at home without a rack too.
I am overweight and getting nagged by my diabetic nurse, I have also just been diagnosed with COPD and got nagged about my weight by the specialist chest/ respiratory nurse.
A new Gym has opened 50 yds from my flat and I have discovered that my firm will pay for 90% of the membership fees.
Having got no excuses left at all I have joined the gym and had my first session a couple of days ago.
Prior to this I had never set foot in a gym in my life.
I had an introductory 1-1 with one of the PTs and she has sorted me out a programme of stretches/warm ups, sessions on the bike and cross country skiing machine (I have no idea what it is called) and some stuff with 4kg weights .
Nothing over the top and I have made a commitment to go three times a week.
I need to get kitted out. I have got shorts and cotton tee shirts which will be fine but I need to get some gym shoes. I don’t own any trainers and am using a pair of Vans canvas top sneakers at the moment.
So recommendations for a pair of shoes please. I am not going to become a weight lifter and running isn’t my thing.
That is a worry - especially with some of the recent flu viruses - do you get your flu jabs ? What have the specialists recommended regarding exercise etc ?
My Dad ended up with it later in life due to exposure to asbestos when he worked in the Clyde Shipyards it’s a horrible thing.
Well good for you for taking a really positive step. There’s lots of ways of being active whether you have 5 mins or 2 hours to spare. The trick in the beginning is not to let your enthusiasm get the better of you, do too much and then fizzle out.
If you’re not running and want something to pootle around the gym in then a flat bottomed pair of tennis shoe style trainers are as good as anything else - grippy on a polished floor, firm base for pressing exercises etc, and offer a bumper at the front against stubbing your toe against a machine or weighted bar etc. But anything comfortable is best.
Sorry to hear about your Dad. A friend lost his Dad from it after working a lifetime in carpet factories where the fibres got to him.
Bad work practices or lack of knowledge took lots of people before their time.
I get all the jabs and most of the time I am OK. I play golf a few times a week and live on a 3rd floor flat with no lift and get up the stairs OK. We have a walking group at work and I do a couple of miles most lunchtimes if I am in the office.
I have got to look at a low carb diet too.
This has been recommended
