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| "Spider" by Bob Murphy, El Cajon, San Diego, CA |
Several years ago two discs in my lower back were herniated overtraining in Israeli Survival, a pretty brutal form of mixed martial arts. The only form of exercise I have done since then is study salsa at DanceSport in NYC, but even that was hard on my back.
I did see a podiatrist, and he gave me some basic tests. He said my discs were no longer the problem; the muscles around the injuries had restricted and needed to be stretched and strengthened. He recommended physical therapy, but it didn’t help much. Nothing has ever helped my back, and I have tried everything. The reclining bicycle is about the only cardio workout I can do.
So, last night I had my first workout. I did fifteen minutes on the reclining bicycle at level one, keeping my heart rate up at about 110 beats per minute. After that I did a few sets of stomach crunches. To my surprise, I am still able to pump out twenty pushups without breaking a sweat. My upper body must still be pretty strong, even if my cardio vascular system is barely working anymore. When I was done I did some light stretching, realizing I had lost most of my flexibility. It will take a while to get it back, and I need to do it slowly. Pushing it is the fastest way to get injured.
With my membership, I get a free session with a personal trainer. Although I am familiar with most of the machines and working with free weights, I am 53-years-old, extremely out of shape, and need an expert to design a program for me that won’t kill me.
I am looking forward to working out again, and I hope to drop thirty or forty pounds over the next six months. I just need to watch what I eat and cut sugar out of my diet. Staying away from the carbs will be difficult, but with enough discipline I can do it.
I will post pictures of my progress as time goes by.
Love to all!
James M. Weil
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