The Inevitable Setback, and the Subsequent Adjustments
Things are going well to the point where the first comment upon seeing me after some amount of time is “You’ve lost weight.” I estimate I’ve lost 13 pounds (I’m not that meticulous in my documentation). Unfortunately with success, the shot of motivation to “do more” bit me in the ass. How you ask? My eyes got too big for my stomach. Acting a little too cavalier with my one workout, and I injured my back. The sad part, I know the exact exercise — the dumbbell pullover.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUVzVXMh9Nc
I’m not surprised at all that a free weight back exercise would be the one to bite me. It was a non-acute injury, hence its been lingering. I’ve been able to continue working out, but I’ve been waking up every morning to back pain. The more I work out, the worse the pain. I took this to be a cue to put my efforts on hiatus to focus on getting my body 100%. As Ryan Holiday would the say, The Obstacle is the Way. Unfortunately, that means placing my current “Start lifting weights” experiment on pause.
The plan is to take it easy this week, and I feel my back is already on the mend. I’ve focused on my yoga, implementing a morning yoga routine that focuses on the lower to middle back. I’ve also taken to sleeping on my side as opposed to my back, adding a memory foam contour leg pillow to the mix, per my back pain research. Lastly, I purchased a bottle of Fish Oil pills. I remember in my jiu-jitsu days people would take these to expedite the healing process, to which my research confirmed. I’m waging a 3 front war on back pain.
Doubling down on yoga, I actually attended a yoga class with my mother this weekend. She loved it, to the point where we plan to make it “a thing”. I’m all for this, as it covers multiple positive life criteria, further entrenching the habit into my life. It does this first with Social Pressure. It’s not just me going to yoga. There’s another someone to hold me accountable each week. Even better, it’s my mom, who has no qualms telling me I’m acting a fool when my bullshit bubbles to the surface.
Secondly, this becomes an opportunity for one on one time with my Mama Singer. When I join my parent’s place for dinner, my father an I have a tendency often steamroll the conversation to odd corners of the conversational spectrum. My mother has plenty of experience with this, joining along, but it;s a different form connection. This provides the time for just the two of us, which I enjoy.
Third, my mom pays. Though I do make a decent living, NYC still is expensive AF. Saving the price of a weekly yoga is clutch. (Side note, my mom is no rookie on what it takes to get me to show up for things. I’m a notorious flake, but never when it comes to her plans.)
Lastly, the people in my life also find the idea of my mother and I attending yoga together adorable, which has anecdotal value. It’s truly a win on all fronts, making it something worth celebrating.
I will admit though, for all I my talk of resting, I played about an hour of basketball over the weekend. I noticed an increase in pain the subsequent days but I couldn’t help myself, the NBA playoffs inspired me and the text came at just the right time. It’s tricky, intellectually I know I’m on the right path, and that rest i the correct move, but emotionally I don’t like it one bit. I’ve begun to feel the addiction of the workout dopamine hits. This draw will help me win the war, but is antithetically to the healing battle. I know though, if I jump back to early and re-injure the same muscle I could lose an entire month as opposed to what I’m hoping will be just one week. I’m sticking to my guns… I hope.