Day 3 Exercise

The last time I exercised was probably in May, about a month and a half ago. I had been doing a core strengthening program that a personal trainer friend of mine gave to try to help with my pain. This was before I knew anything about TMS. The workout was actually giving me some relief, not consistently but it was helping. It also helped to get me out of the house. I am self employed so I spend a lot of time alone at home. I think that's been a huge part of why I developed symptoms, I feel alone all day. I haven't worked out since because I had a pretty bad flare up and didn't think I could. I honestly think that now I am afraid to go to the gym because the pain has been so bad lately. I used to love exercising. In fact before all of my back troubles started I was in the best shape of my life. I had lost 30lbs and my endurance was great. I felt really healthy then boom, back pain so bad I couldn't walk. I really miss exercising and feeling healthy. I've put on so much weight since I have been dealing with pain. I feel twice my age. I'm very glad to have found the TMS diagnosis and I like that I'm being encouraged by everything I have read to get physically active again. But a big part of me is just plain scared. I've been terrified of my pain for so long now that it feels normal to me. It's a cycle I have to break. I am hoping that this week I can start with some mild exercise, maybe a light jog or a little time on the spin bike. Just telling myself that it will all be ok!

 

Hey Brandon,
I can relate to your fear of exercise and the "being alone" at home. As for exercise, I am 57yrs old and have played sports and exercised my entire life. Competition has always been a focus of my life. Long story short....I got injured at 32yrs old playing semi-Pro Football, which resulted in a 12 hour spinal surgery. I have been thru the gamet (medical field), while being treated for chronic pain. Not being able to workout properly has caused me a lot of frustration. When I first started the SEP, I decided to increase my heavy Weight Training (Benches, DeadLifts, Rows, Presses, etc.) from once a week to 2-3 times per week. I was nervous about that out of fear of causing me more pain and fatigue. I quickly realized that it was psychological. After a few weeks, I was amazed how strong I got. At first, I did have increased pain, but I ignored it, knowing that was my expectations. Eventually it subsided. Many on here wanted me to post a 'success" story, but I knew deep down in my heart, that although I was getting more confident in the TMS diagnosis, I was not fully convinced. I just had a setback due to a family crisis, but now I am realizing that this is TMS (psychological). As soon as you fully convince yourself (thru personal experimentation) you will heal. For me, this is a gradual process. I have to know all the hows and whys before I can buy into anything, and I am in that process now. As for being alone, this is really hard for anybody. We have so much inner chatter in or minds that create fears and anxieties. It may be good for you to schedule long walks, lunches with friends, or any activities you enjoy throughout your day to give your thoughts a break. Remember, all that inner chatter is just BS. It means nothing. Sorry for being so long-winded. I would suggest starting slowly in building up your exercise regimen to build confidence, then when you feel confident, go full bore. Also, remember any new exercise routine will have some discomfort, but that is a good thing, because your body will adapt. Good luck and keep it going. Ignore the inner chatter negativity. It's not real!!

 

Hi, Brandon. fbcoach is right. I also suggest you might go to youtube to find some easy exercise videos.

Healing through TMS belief can be an on-going process, and that's fine with me. I healed from severe back pain by journaling in the SEProgram and discovering repressed emotions from my childhood when my parents divorced when I was seven and it left me with feelings of insecurity and abandonment. They reunited two years later, but I was still left with the same feelings.

New anxieties, worries, emotional stressors can come along to give me TMS pain. I draw upon TMS healing techniques that help calm me. My favorite is meditation, especially the Relaxation Response...

Meditation is a time-honored way of relaxing the mind and relieving anxiety, mental stress, headaches, and even physical pain. There are many ways to practice meditation, but many consider the most successful to be a technique called the Relaxation Response (RR).

It is a wonderful way to practice TMS Mindbody Healing because it changes harmful thinking in the subconscious mind which Dr. John Sarno says causes pain that is not caused by anything structural.

The RR, practiced once or twice a day for 10, 15, or 20 minutes has a profound positive effect on the subconscious mind, relieving or curing everything from anxiety, hypertension, headaches, fatigue, nervousness, dizziness, high blood pressure, insomnia, stomach problems, all forms of pain including backaches, abdominal pain, muscle pain, neck, arm, and leg pain, and relieves side affects from cancer and AIDS.

RR is like Transcendental Meditation which is taught by TM specialists who charge hundreds or thousands of dollars. But the RR is free and you can do it yourself.

It is practiced, before a meal, and works best if not practiced within two hours after a meal. I do it in bed before arising in the morning and again in bed before falling sleep. Often, I only do it 5 or 10 minutes and it works to calm me and put me to sleep.

Just sit in a chair (or lie in bed in the morning or at bedtime), close your eyes, don’t listen to any music, and try to avoid outside noises. Let your mind think of a word such as

"One " which has no real meaning or association. Or say a calming word such as “Calm” or “Peace,” or add the faith or spiritual element by saying a favorite religious word or prayer. Breathe naturally or incorporate Deep Breathing by breathing in through the mouth to inflate the stomach, suck in the stomach while holding the breath for a few seconds, then say the word when you exhale through the mouth.

Say the word silently over and over. At the end of the 10 to 20 minutes, picture and feel yourself as you were when you felt your best, and in a place where you felt that way.

When distracting thoughts arise during the RR, as they will, just tell yourself, “Oh, well,” and go back to repeating your chosen word.

My "word" is a prayer: "God loves me and is protecting me." I say it a few times and go right to sleep. If my mind wanders onto other things, I tell myself"Oh, well," and repeat my mantra silently while deep breathing.

There are several free videos on Youtube about the Relaxation Response. I especially recommend these two by Dr. Benson:

 

You can do it. Remember you don't have to climb the whole stair case at once, just one stair at a time.