I miss kettlebells…such an amazing workout but I think that is what put me over the edge to injury…swings without the core support!!! Ugh. I hope one day to get back to it but I’m not sure.
Core and flexibility first. Then start with the light resistance stuff. Swimming is good too. I swam to recover from a low-back injury. You’ll get there. Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.
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I go to the gym most weekday mornings but do some form of physical exercise everyday with the exception of Sundays during the NFL season. Currently, my fitness routine includes HIIT, strength training, hiking, running, getting at least 13-14k steps per day. My goal for 2018 is to increase my calorie burn by maintaining my current level of physical activity while significantly reducing my intake of foods with added sugar. Since becoming sober I have developed quite the sweet tooth. As a result , I have gained weight.
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Love Krav. It’s great for “old warriors” like me, who can’t afford to go long or on the ground with an aggressor. End it quick and dirty, and get away.
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I couldn’t agree more. It’s just a little depressing. I had the pain for months thinking it was just muscle strain and rest would help. Then months of Physio helped a bit but I got stuck. I’m now seeing a chiro. It’s been over a year (closer to 2 I think) without a GOOD workout. I’m fat, flabby, and depressed.
Of course my being flabby isn’t ONLY because of my back. I let it get me so down that I got depressed and lazy. I know have to change my focus from wallowing in the pain to being determined in my recovery.
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Just like anything else in this journey…… One day at a time. If you are moving, you are succeeding. I would say if it’s been a long time start off with a walk or a hike if you’re going to the gym start off with the treadmill or an elliptical machine. If 10 minutes feels good, do 20. The next time do 25 minutes. Bump it up incrementally, without going crazy right off the bat. If you go to the gym today and do 25 minutes on a treadmill, you are already doing 25 minutes more exercise than you have been in the past. Every little bit counts. When you feel like you can do more add more time, then incorporate weightlifting if that something you’re into and go from there. The one mistake that a lot of people make, is they try and go do everything at once, all or nothing. That will only end up causing injury and/or so much muscle soreness that you won’t go back to the gym for days. Ease into it, you will be happy you did, and you will be making changes that will benefit your sobriety.
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When I retired from the service in 1998, I was 175 Lbs of IRON. Met my wife shortly after. Let’s just say married life agreed with me a bit too much. I’ve cycled through soft periods, then back in shape, then soft periods again. Usually it was an injury that would cause me to stop. Knee. Back. Shoulder. Trying to progress faster than I should. Coming off of a year of drinking again, I’ve got some work to do. 50+ and this is when things can really go south for a guy. Plus, it’s not just the “years” its the “mileage”. I started with a goal of losing 45 lbs. Down 7 since quitting drinking. Regular workouts and walking (plus not drinking) and eating healthy. You lose weight at the table. You get strong at the gym.
Good luck! Slow but steady.
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My crippled and old feeling ass is going to do yoga,there’s a studio two block walk from me where classes are 5 dollar’s a drop in and 30 dollar’s for five.
But first im taking my first check from my new job and getting a reflexology massage,work the kinks out!
Well,the physical ones at least
For those that have spent some time in the gym and are looking for some next level stuff or maybe strengthening some of their weakened or injured stabilizing muscle groups, I have had great results with a gym out of Jackson Hole called Mountain Tactical Insitute run by a guy named Rob Shaul…not peddling anything here, I have no affiliation with the gym but I’ve bought a couple of their programs - I think they run about 20 bucks for a 6 week program that you can download. I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone just starting out, but I have suffered through a herniated disk, hip injury and shoulder problems too this year and the programs they offer have really helped me to strengthen those accessory muscles that bring everything back into line. U can check some of their stuff out on YouTube too. That’s all for now, I’m headed to the gym!
I appreciate the positivity and the ‘one day at a time’ mentality in your reply. Feels a bit less daunting now, thank you.
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@Spartan_Chris has provided some solid advice. Go from “0” to “1”. When “1” isn’t a challenge, go to “2”, and do that until it’s no longer a challenge. You’ll get to “10” eventually. Maybe not as quickly as your ego would like, but you will get to your “10” whatever that is.
Ouch!!! Yoga is great, I recently discovered hot yoga and it kicked my ass!!
Thank you, I find this very sensible and motivating. In all honesty, I have been away from exercise for so long that my ego does not even dare to suggest to go for ‘10’! Glad for just back though, no matter how small this step is.
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@Ger13 Let’s put it this way, January 1 of last year I was 30 pounds heavier and could barely run a mile after a lifetime of being a “distance runner”… I progressed up a half mile to a mile at a time and my longest distance so far this year has been 15 miles at a reasonable pace. That is something that I have not done in 20 years. So anything is possible as long as you do it with a goal, and an intelligently designed plan so that you don’t injure yourself in the process. You really don’t even need to pay for personal training or programs nowadays there’s so much information on the Internet as far as marathon training plans, core strengthening programs, etc. The information is out there and it’s pretty easy to find.
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Whats the 16-8 protocol?
The simple explanation is Eat for 8 hours out of the day and fast for 16 - if u have ur last meal at 6 PM u wouldn’t touch food again until 10 am the following day.
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Indeed! Ive grappled w some young dudes bf and have definitely felt the pain for the next few days. Im only 37 but thats a big leap from 22. All about the form though at the end of the day. Size and strength arent all that important.
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I should add that the first few months of recovery I was definetly feelings the effects of neglecting my body for years and not being active. I was always achy and sore… after playing around with different beach body programs and lifting in the gym I came to the realization that I desperately needed to strengthen my core and increase my flexibility. I started doing hot yoga at a studio close to home and it made a huge difference. I try to do yoga a few times a week and I start and end every day by stretching. I can’t tell you how much of a difference this has made. I’ve also done tons of research of most effective cardio and have switched from spending hours on the treadmill jogging with little results to incline walking with huge results. To be more specific… in the early days of my recovery I would jog at the same pace for 45-60 min daily. While it was great for my mental health it was hard on my knees/hips and didn’t really show good results. I then started brisk incline walking and what a difference. I lost my stomach in a matter of months (I shed 40 pounds) by setting the incline to 6-10% and walking at a pace between 3-4.3mph. It was waaaay easier on my knees and it strengthened my core. I’ve now added free weights into my workout and its been awesome. Again this works for me and may not work for everybody…just wanted to share for those that are looking for ideas to mix it up.
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Absolutely! Stairs, inclines and hills make a huge difference in the amount of time you have to devote to the exercise…I always prefer trail runs with hills to pounding it out on flat pavement forever. I know stairs and hills are rough for many on the downhills due to knee issues, but incline treadmill or elliptical machines are awesome.
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