Patrick, there's gotta be others here with lower disc issues, L5-6 for me. It seems like once you start feeling those twinges, it "suggests" other issues are going on. Stretching moves every day keeps the discs flexible, it helps get fluids into the discs, and minor benefit it helps the core muscles by equalizing the tension. Mix in with different body exercises (specific leg lifts, other things, planks, push ups). Push-ups help me with riding on drops. Bike riding actually causes tightening of the muscles that connect into the lower back, so you want to even things out and keep loose. Walking is a very good way of keeping things loose. Unlike Jack, if I'm doing construction projects, it really aggravates the lower back, but gotta keep stretching. I had an episode last summer where my right leg was going numb, but on the inside - hip to ankle - stabbing hot pain that kept me from sleeping for 3 days. Now I know what true sciatic pain is, it is brutal. Its from compression of the spine on nerves where the discs are damaged. I don't like doing the exercises either, but I do like being able to ride and walk and hike. Don't let it get away from you.
Check out The Back Mechanic by Stuart McGill for self-help regimes. Mike SLO CA On Wednesday, November 18, 2020 at 8:21:22 AM UTC-8 Tom Palmer wrote: > Hi Patrick, > Late to the party here. I do a short intense work out of pushups, squats, > and planks. 10 minutes maximum. Start with pushups by doing as many as I > can, switch to squats, usually about 20, do a 30 second plank, back to > squats 20 or as many as I can, pushups again, and rotate. The key is very > little rest between sets. If I had a pull up bar I would do those in the > rotation too. > I have inflammation issues and if I do this a few times a week an dstay > away from sugar and grains, I feel great. my riding is way stronger too. > Tom Palmer > Twin Lake, MI > On Monday, November 16, 2020 at 12:56:12 PM UTC-5 Patrick Moore wrote: > >> I should be doing more of other sorts of exercise besides cycling anyway, >> but what brings this to mind is that my lower back -- center, just above >> hips -- has been moderately painful off and on for the last 7-10 days; I >> think that the cause or occasion was insufficient muscle tone while >> spending too much time all at once bent over working on the Monocog and >> other things; this exacerbated by bending over too forcefully a couple of >> times afterward to reach things on the ground (dog shit, if you must know). >> It's not more than mild, and for a long time I've been stiff down there >> after sitting (I do try to sit straight) or bending, and it has been worse >> in the past; generally my back is fine, thank God; but I'd like to nip it >> in the bud. >> >> Besides cycling, I do pushups, but that aside, I despise "exercise." I've >> heard, read, and felt when I do it that simple walking is a good all-over >> exercise and that, in particular, it strengthens your core -- of course, it >> will do this only moderately but moderately is all I want. >> >> Can anyone comment on walking for general health and, in particular, to >> keep your core in basic tone? I have noticed that, when I walk more, my >> trunk and legs feel less "tight." >> >> Once again, I am not likely to do stretching or any methodical program of >> exercise, so advice in regimens is likely wasted effort. (That's why God >> invented bikes, fer heaven's sake!! To make "exercise" -- and "saving the >> planet" -- fun.) >> >> If anyone has general useful information on lower back pain, I'll be >> grateful to hear it. >> >> Next question: Can anyone recommend an inexpensive large backpack for >> grocery runs? It should hold, and hold with reasonable comfort to the >> wearer, at least a full paper grocery sack's worth of groceries, including >> the weight of cans and bottles. Longest distance loaded will be 1 mile -- I >> have 1 grocery store 1/4 mile away, another 7/10 mile away, even though I >> live in a bosque enclave. >> >> I just walked to and from the further one -- Sprout's -- and carried home >> 36 lb of groceries, 29 lb in a very large Timbuktu courier bag; not the >> best method. Carrying 36 lb of groceries on a bike is a lot easier! But the >> wheels of my grocery bike are waiting at the bike shop for the rim tape >> needed to make the Naches Pass tires tubeless. >> >> Patrick "18.53 minutes per mile outbound empty, 23.04 minutes per mile >> return under load" Moore >> >> -- >> >> ----------------------------------------------------------------------- >> Patrick Moore >> Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum >> >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/37736ccf-8f35-43fd-b465-a0d7861a6d76n%40googlegroups.com.
