These last few weeks, I’ve been getting back into my workout routine and it’s been great. If you’ve been following along with this blog, you know that I’ve been experiencing chronic back pain since December of last year. After coming back from Bangladesh, I went to countless doctors trying to figure out what was wrong but kept getting misdiagnosed and prescribed pain pills (that didn’t work by the way).
After getting an MRI in June, the orthopedist finally figured out that the disc between my spine and tailbone (I think it was the L-5 disc) had moved 5 millimeters and every time I sat down, the disc would press against the nerves in my back, which is what was causing the lower back pain that spread to my legs the longer I stayed sitting (which is unavoidable since I’m a student).
I don’t need surgery to fix it, but I have a lot of constraints when it comes to working out. I’m not supposed to run, dance (jumping cand cause the disc to move), lift weights, yoga…, so my exercise options are very limited.
After going to physical therapy for two months, I moved out and started my new life in the dorms. August was crazy, so I didn’t work out as regularly as I am now. I’m happy to say that I’ve finally found a workout routine that makes me break a sweat.
This workout routine isn’t as intense as my previous ones because I’m not taking classes with trainers anymore, but it’s something I’m able to do consistently in my busy college schedule.
Previous Workout Routine Posts:
- My Current College Workout Routine (Freshman Year)
- Summer Workout Routine (2017)
//Warm Up + Stretch
The first thing I do is warm up and stretch. In physical therapy, warming up entailed walking on a treadmill for eight minutes to get my blood flowing, but I don’t do that when I work out on my own. (I mean, I walk to the gym but that doesn’t count).
I pretty much get my blood flowing and stretch before exercising. Just look up “Warm-Up Stretches” on Pinterest and you’ll see what I do. I’ve recently found out that there are certain stretches I can’t do because of my back, so I have to be careful about that.
Related – A Practical Guide To Working Out Regularly In College
//Elliptical 30-Minutes
I remember when I first started working out in Freshman year and I absolutely hated doing cardio on the machines. I could only use the elliptical for ten minutes before getting bored. I preferred doing other forms of cardio like dance or swimming. Doing the same motion for a long period of time feels monotonous, so I avoided those types of exercises in the past.
Now, I can probably exercise on the same machine for 45-minutes and actually enjoy myself. It’s not as fun as dancing, but I don’t hate it anymore. The reason I started using the elliptical is that I need a workout that makes me sweat and doesn’t hurt my back. This is the only exercise that my physical therapist gave approval on, so I’ve learned to accept it. Depending on how high the resistance is, I can come out of this exercise covered in sweat.
//Physical Therapy Exercises
After that, I do the daily physical therapy exercises for my back. I’ve noticed that I forget to do them on days I don’t go to the gym, so that’s all the more reason to go to the gym every day.
Honestly, I’m not sure if the exercises will completely move the disk back. My pain has decreased by a lot, but I’m pretty sure that’s because I’ve started wearing a back brace. I’m worried that it won’t go away completely without surgery, which I’ll gladly do because I’m way too young to live with chronic back pain and all its limits.
//Planks
The two worst parts about working out with a back injury are that I’m not allowed to lift weights or do most ab exercises. Core workouts like sit-ups and leg-raises put pressure on my lower back, so planks are the only ab workouts I can do and those are my least favorite ab exercises. I already have broad shoulders, so I usually avoid doing them but I have no choice now. I spend 5-10 minutes doing regular and side planks for 30-seconds intervals. I’m trying to get up to 2-minutes. Planks and push-ups are actually one of the best arm and ab exercise, so it’s good that I’m getting into the habit of doing them.
I’m starting to slowly work my way up to more intense exercises, but I won’t be cleared to work out intensely again until January (and that’s pending approval). The big rule of thumb is to stop if my back starts hurting.
And that’s my current workout routine. It’s not as intense as it used to be, but I’m glad I’ve gotten into a rhythm of going to the gym every weekday. After months of not working out, my body feels so much more energized being back at the gym again, even if it means doing exercises I normally dislike.
Related:
- A Practical Guide To Working Out Regularly In College
- My Current College Workout Routine (Freshman Year)
- Summer Workout Routine (2017)
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What is your current work out routine? What’s the gym at your college like?