So here we are again. It's about two months since my surgery. Woo. At this point, I am moving around at nearly a "normal" level in most situations. Driving gives me no significant issues, contrasted against when I first started driving after the procedure. At that point, I was still very stiff and could only drive after much effort of getting into a vehicle. Anyway, as I said, I'm now able to get through most situations in a normal fashion. I can go grocery shopping, pick up the baby, and have sex. (Though we'd made sure that still worked a while ago. Indeed.)
So now, two months out, my focus has shifted from the recovery mode of making sure there were no major complications from the procedure and regaining the minimal level of movement to now looking to start back on a path to better overall general health and fitness.
Before the surgery, I had been doing a regular resistance training routine from which I had started to see some good results. I am going to be getting back into that starting this week at the office. Now, some would be skeptical of "starting this week" when said regarding a fitness routine, but in this particular case it becomes easier since there is a nice exercise facility at my office.
I've also started reading a book called "Foundation: Redefine Your Core, Conquer Back Pain, and Move with Confidence". This book emphasizes a particular methodology of movement and strengthening of the back, legs, and hips in a way that is supposedly more in tune with how our bodies were intended to move. The authors contrast this against how we Westerners typically move, emphasizing and over-straining the low-back via movement habits and lifestyle (long sitting, poor posture, etc.) I have to admit, from their ground-work laid out in the early chapters, they make a compelling argument. I've started some of the basic exercises they indicate, and I can tell it's utilizing my structural muscles in a different way already, even starting only today. Based on the reviews on Amazon from actual readers and the glittery bits provided by celebrity endorsers in the text itself, I've got some high hopes for this material. Those high hopes also stem from the fact that the introductory material describing how they arrived at their conclusions on structural physiology really resonated with my own experiences during my struggles with back pain. I've always noticed how, even with having my share of physical therapy and medications, my back only got to a certain level of liveability. There were always certain movements that made me nervous because of how they felt; certain elements of my core strength never seemed to stabilize and improve regardless of activity level or attention. These are ideas that the authors address specifically, and indicate marked improvement for all of the users who follow the exercises properly. If all goes well, I hope to provide yet another glowing review. I wish this because if it's true, that means my back is stronger, my movement is freer, and my body is less of a problem for me than it once was.
Huzzah.
