They come in many forms: emotional, physical, or financial. Each is as devastating as the next. Setbacks can completely derail your health and fitness plans. I know this from firsthand experience. Up until last June, I was in the best shape of my life, with low body fat, lifting more weight than ever, and feeling fantastic.
Then it happened. I can’t even pinpoint the moment it started. There was no specific exercise where I felt a pop. I just began to experience a burning sensation in my lower back and slowly lost torso flexibility due to lower back pain. Lower back pain is incredibly common in America, with 80% of adults experiencing it at some point.
I never thought it would happen to me, especially not at 25-26 years old. Initially, it was just a minor inconvenience, but it progressively worsened from June through September. At its worst, I couldn’t get out of bed because my lower back hurt so much. I could barely put on my shoes, and sometimes, my girlfriend had to help me.
The pain was so severe that I gave up exercising for nearly a month, the longest break I’ve ever taken from working out. This lack of mobility was devastating, and even sitting in a car or sleeping became uncomfortable. I was only getting four hours of sleep a night because I kept tossing and turning.
Since I couldn’t work out and was always in pain, I started to lose self-confidence. Going from the best shape of my life to barely being able to tie my shoes was humbling. From my reading, I knew it likely involved muscles or a disc pressing on my sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve runs from the lower back through the buttocks, down the leg. I had constant pain shooting down my left leg and a burning sensation in my left buttocks – classic sciatic nerve complications.
I saw a back specialist who prescribed pills that numbed the pain but didn’t solve the issue. I tried multiple chiropractors, inversion tables, acupuncture, and electronic muscle stimulation, all to no avail. I nearly resigned myself to a life of chronic pain.
When traditional medicine didn’t help, I began examining my own physiology. I figured my muscles might be overcompensating due to an imbalance, my hips were too tight leading to piriformis syndrome, or a combination of these. I decided to tackle this issue by resting, stretching, and targeting muscle imbalances.
I spoke to a personal trainer friend who set me up with a hip stretching routine, which I’ve done daily for the past few months. Alongside stretching, I stopped lifting weights for months. The pain began to subside, and I started to focus my resistance training on my hip abductors, hamstrings, and lower back. Now, I’m almost back to my old self, without any trouble getting out of bed or putting on my shoes.
I’ve learned that you really take health for granted until you experience something like this. If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything. I’m sharing my story to let you know that regardless of setbacks, you can work your way back. It requires understanding your physiology, time, patience, perseverance, and the desire to recover.
The hardest part for me was taking time off from exercising to let my body heal. During this period, make sure to eat nutrient-dense meals and drink plenty of water to support muscle recovery. Increasing fish oil intake might also help as it has anti-inflammatory properties that could aid in healing.
Make static stretching and warming up a priority in your workout routine. Perform static stretching for 5-10 minutes to allow muscle fibers to slowly relax, improving flexibility and relieving pain. For the injured area, stretch the muscle group for 15-30 seconds for each stretch.
When you return to exercising, start slowly with light weights. Avoid movements that cause pain and consider doing isometric exercises if you have a joint-specific injury. These exercises strengthen the joint without changing the joint angle.
Muscle imbalances can also contribute to issues. For me, tight hip flexors and quads pulled my upper body forward and down, putting pressure on other muscles. Targeting the correct muscle groups through stretching and strengthening can alleviate this pressure.
If you are struggling with an injury, do research to understand what might be wrong, and consult a doctor if the pain persists. Physical setbacks can be incredibly challenging, but with time and proper care, you can overcome them. Take your time to heal, stretch, and spot-train to fix muscle imbalances.
Your health is truly invaluable, and you need to take care of it to live a fulfilling life.