no solutions, but just want to say I know how you feel: Never had any problems with my lower back (nearing 50)...but a few days ago, I was sitting on the edge of my bed playing guitar and, when I stood up, the nerves in my lower back were flaring and the vertebrae at the bottom of my spine felt sore. Granted, it was an unusually long guitar sesh and my posture was crap, but I've sat like that, in that same spot, a thousand times and never had an issue. Been walking all rickety for the last 3 days, and, although it's gotten slightly better, the muscles on the right lower side of my back still occasionally spasm with nerve pain. Had a little surf trip planned next week, but it could be a waste of time. Made up my mind, I'm just going to go with some aleve and, if I can't pop up by then, I'll just come home.
Well, "lucky" for me and my back, since my glorious 4 days in one week of surfing, it has been generally flat. So, against my will, the back is recovered, the neck has been money... But I also have not taken any of this advice and applied it. In the two weeks since I posted this thread, I have not been stretching, or doing yoga. Bad ZACH619! BAD! But for real, I will start tonight before bed. Because there will again be swell, some day and I don't want to just go 150% and gas myself out and feel terrible for a week following every session. I never knew how horrible time out of the way can be on your body. Every day in between swells, feels like it ads up and is just unloaded on you once you get out again. I don't ever feel bad during a surf, but man, my body can't handle the 150% effort for a few hours straight like it used to.
I am getting ready to do yoga, it's too stormy to swim. I hate yoga but yoga loves me. Here is something I do on a longboard to counterbalance the paddling: On a flat day, take a leash and every so often, stop paddling, tie the leash to your leg, and backstroke or dive underwater and do intervals. Bring along a mask (you can attach it to the leash for more resistance while you are paddling) and dive some reefs while paddling intermittently. It's a lot lot less boring, and your back will thank you. If it's too deep for one leash, tie two or three together, that way you can go 20 ft. down. It's a great workout that feels like your just farting around in the water, not trying to get in shape. If you do it for an hour.
FiNd a public pool and swim laps on non surfing days. I swim a mile daily and I swear it's the reason I have no back issues. I am pretty old, and to take up surfing and not get back issues is pretty good. It's the swimming. You csn get into a zen state swimming laps. If that is dull for you, wear waterproof mp3 player made for lap swimming. It's less boring than Yoga. Wish I could like yoga, but I hate it.
I have a pool at home. It's only closed 4 months out of the year, but the pool at HH High School right down the street is outdoor too. I could definitely do more laps. I only get in the pool with my 2 year old and mess around with her. Can't do laps then, but I would prefer swimming to running anyday. Years of youth track and then soccer have ruined running for any sort of enjoyment for ever I think .
I was on the swim and track teams my sophomore year in high school...and hated both because they were so monotonous. Next year, I joined the cross-country team and absolutely loved the variety of parks and places we ran. If you're gonna run, switch it up...find all the golf courses in town and run around those. Running on grass and under tress, down hills, and jumping over roots and stuff blows away any paved track...kinda like mtn biking, without the bike.
Good advice on the swimming. I'm lucky to have access to one, only a few steps from my townhouse. Normally it's empty and can swim laps till my arms give up, especially before a surf trip or a big swell at home, I try to make it a regular thing but it's just been when I feel like it or I need to step up my game. This makes me wanna do it daily.
I hear ya. Swimming laps in a pool may be good exercise, but staring down at that black line lap after lap for an hour isn't very inspiring. Played water polo my freshman year of HS, then found out I was a better runner than a swimmer. Running around a track can also be a drag; but I was middle distance, so I also went on road runs with the distance guys. Ran x-country too. You're right about the freedom of getting out on the roads, hills, golf courses, through the Eucalyptus trees, to the beach, etc. It was about a 4 mile run to Torrance Beach (CA) from my HS. In the fall, I'd see the football players practicing in all their gear. That sure wasn't for me. A pair of running shoes and shorts was all the gear I wanted. Run down to the beach, do some body surfing, check out the chicks, and return. No towel, just air dry. Over 40 years later, I still run. I don't find lap swimming quite as bad as I used to. I may go back to it once the pool on the Navy base where I work is finally repaired. I'll bet the SEALS broke it! (kidding-sort of) They train in that pool from time to time and can be pretty rough on things
sometimes back probs are a combo of getting old and the use it or lose it aspect of aging muscles. this approach - a la betty - is imo the best approach to staying young and fit.
well, on top of the back pain, I somehow managed to get a crick in my neck. I went to the beach and was so stoked, I forgot to take an advil (or a leash), but I kinda forgot about my back and neck and was fine. Definitely felt it all again once I got out of the water, but layed down for the rest of the day and it didn't bother me.
