They tried to make me go to rehab...

Everyone, everyone, simmer down. I have an announcement to make:

Leslie Goldman, Weighting Game blogger and lover of lifting weights, is back.

That's right, I've received clearance to hoist five pound dumbbells! Side and front lat raises, plus biceps curls!

My enthusiasm may sound sarcastic, and in a way it is (I mean, seriously? I was lifting 15 pounds per arm for biceps, pre-bedrest.) But as it turns out, I was likely lifting overly heavy weight before, straining my neck and upper chest instead of focusing on good form. So now I have to pay extra special attention to keeping my shoulders back, my neck relaxed and my muscles STRONG. Sure, it takes 118 reps to feel any kind of burn, but it's progress. And I've certainly learned a lesson.

Join me for a brief look back at how far I have come:

June 12, 13 and 14: Total and complete bed rest, with the exception of getting up to pee.

Then I was released into the world, wearing a cervical collar and scared that the slightest little bump while driving could break me in half. Feeble and weak are not fun feelings, let me assure you.

Next, my physcial therapist gave me the go-ahead to walk for a mile or so, plus a few beginner exercises to start increasing my range of motion. No weights or any exercise with impact in the foreseeable future.

Soon, every passing PT appointment resulted in more and more exercises for me to do at home, including chin tucks to strengthen my neck, side leg lifts to stabilize my hips, cervical traction (I have my own unit!) and more. Within two weeks, our family room became overrun with rehab equipment, including yellow and red latex bands hanging from the sliding glass door, a kid-sized arm floatie device to lay beneath my neck while executing an advanced chin tuck, mini barbells, a foam roller and more. It's like we have kids but instead of toys, our floor is covered in medical devices. I like to call this style of decorating "Gimp Eclectic."

Within three weeks, my short walks turned long. I was able to get back on the Gauntlet and I even learned how to ride the recumbent bike without my butt going numb. My neck had regained its full range of motion when looking left and right and I was growing less and less scared to turn around when tapped on the shoulder, rather than move my entire body around like a robot.

Today, I'm hitting the gym and will be able to do about 20 minutes of cardio - I've even gained permission to try the Elliptical! - plus PT exercises and light weights. It feels great. I never knew I'd get so excited over lifting 5 pound, blue rubber-coated dumbbells. But I am.

It seems like more than a handful of bloggers out there - many of whom frequent this site - have been falling victim to back and neck issues lately. I'm not saying there's a blogging/back pain epidemic, but I can tell you this: A physical therapist recently told my husband, "Laptops keep me in business." So let me be your lesson. As Juno put it, I can be your cautionary whale:

* Watch your posture- the second your head inches forward to look down at a screen, it triples in weight, according to your neck. (Same goes for cooks, pathologists and those people who comb beaches with metal detectors.)

* Don't push yourself too hard in yoga. I was in Plow for an extended period of time two days before my back seized up, and a week later, I happened upon this article in Self, which revealed that nearly 4,500 people ended up in the emergency room after yoga injuries in 2006, with injuries ranging from rotator cuff tears, exacerbated carpal tunnel syndrome, torn cartilage in the knees, and lower-back and neck injuries such as - ta-dah! - herniated disks.

* Lift appropriate weights. In retrospect, I suppose lifting 17.5 pounds in each hand for upright rows may have been a wee bit too heavy. But I did it because I thought I needed to keep going up in size to stay strong. Wrongzo!

* Appreciate your health. Truly, you don't know what you've got 'til it's been gobbled up by a bulging disk. Today I was walking down the street and saw people running and all I could think was "I hate you!" "You are so lucky to be jogging on this goreous day." Maybe next summer, I'll be one of them. Until then, I'm focusing on getting stronger, keeping my shoulders back and chin tucked and, maybe one day, writing in a coffeehouse again.

Enjoy the weekend, everyone!

Amy needs rehab, just like me. AND she has neck problems, too! (Note hickey)

Comments

great tips, this is especially important to me because as you mentioned, i cook and am on my feet most of the day. When i first began the rigourous culinary boot camp, i was having terrible back/neck pain. then I realized may i should switch shoes...I was wearing these terribly cheap ones the school gave us but instead invested in a pricy pair of perfectly arched clogs. What a differenence! No pain since, so i'd say to also get you shoes an upgrade if you haven't already done so recently.

Reading your story had me knocking on wood with every available appendage. Also, I am now sitting up straight and stacked a bunch of books under my monitor so I don't have to drop my head. My vertebrae thank you. I'm sorry you had this happen though - way to keep a positive attitude. You are a good example in so many ways:)

And the hickie? Just awesome.

Yay for feeling better! Your advice does give me a little pause in how I've been going up in weight with various things. Good to think about...! :)

YAY!!!!!

Yay! I'm glad you're healing well. I am too, and was able to ride a good amount on my bike this week and run/walk a lot.

I spend a lot of time on the computer, looking through a microscope, and cooking. Not to mention hunched over writing in my lab notebook. I think I'm in the perfect position to be susceptible to back problems.

She's Baaaack!!!!! Awesome, congratulations!

There are some great cardio/strength training classes that use lighter weights. Maybe you could try one out when you get your doctor's OK?

And, yeah, the yoga injuries are INSANE! We're all so competitive, and then you get the instructors who just push too far. I love yoga, but you REALLY need to respect your own limits (just like you said).

Anyway, welcome back!

*goes straight into the cabbage patch upon hearing the good news*

good advice about the lower weights and proper form. my boy, with whom i share my blog with, has some awesomely gorgeous strong arms, but only lifts 25 pound dumbbells. he tried to go up to 30 last night when doing some presses, but since his form started to stink, he went down to 27.5 lbs for his last set.

i've seen some people lifting ungodly amounts of weights but with the worst form ever.

Good advice! And so happy for you that you get to lift some weights again and are feeling so much better:)

Glad you're back! :)
Yes, good reminder to appreciate what we've got!

Congratulations on the healing body! I'm dreadful for leaning over my laptop - I'm definitely going to try to sit more upright from now on.

TA x

yay! congrats! i had to sleep on the floor last night because my back was hurting.

and im 100% sure its a combination of this damn computer and throwing weights around at work. gotta do more core stuff.

Thanks for the info- I seriously need to change some posture habits. I've had back issues in the past. My the beginning of my junior year I squatted too much weight and did something to my back, now 2 years later and I still need to be REALLY careful.

YAY! Welcome back to the world of weights!

I know that my posture when I'm using my laptop is AWFUL - I don't have a desk or proper chair (planning on buying one as soon as I move) so I hunch. Note to self: DON'T!

It's also so true about the heavy weights/bad form. There are a few exercises that I could technically use heavier weights but my form would suffer so I don't. But I see SO many people so proud of how heavy they're lifting, meanwhile their form is ugly. The things ego does to us ...

Hip hip Hoooray! You must be psyched to be able to hit the weights again, there's nothing else that will make you feel so tough (maybe chin ups but I can't even comprehend being able to do those). Yay :)

I'm just starting with weight lifting, and I think there's nothing wrong with those 5-lb weights! :)

Congrats on getting back in the game!

Yay, Leslie! So glad you're back in the land of the living, so to speak. :-)

Gimp Electric...I love it!

V.

Glad you're back at it - it stinks to take time off from exercise because of physical ailments, doesn't it? And yes, the laptops and blogging pain got me, too - I had a twisted vertebra in my neck because of too much computer time. Stretching breaks are now a must!

Glad you're back, Leslie! And thanks for the reminder to watch the form.

Yay! Glad to see you're getting better! A couple of months ago, I fell and hurt my elbow really badly...it swelled up and I couldn't move it properly for a long time. I couldn't do a lot arm work either and it drove me nuts. The key is definitely to listen to your body and don't try to do more than you can at one time so you don't re-injure yourself.

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