More about exercise.

Here is an article from a paper, The Press, York England
"It’s such a pain in the... back
8:27am Saturday 6th December 2008
By Sara Hawthorn »

IN THE mad rush to the shops, now those vital few VAT pennies have been shaved off, try and remember to lift all those jampacked shopping bags correctly or Christmas may be far from merry.

In the UK, it is estimated that five million working days are lost every year as a result of back pain, which costs the NHS more than £1 billion a year to treat. Anyone who has suffered from this affliction has my sympathy.

Pain in this core area of the body can be debilitating, frustrating and depressing. And it is one of the worst for conflicting advice on the best course of action to take.

I’ve had back problems for years and have seen doctors, physiotherapists, osteopaths, acupuncturists and massage therapists to try and get rid of the constant pain.

I’ve had painkillers so strong you could have told me the world was ending in five minutes and I’d have smiled serenely and blown a raspberry, acupuncture needles in bizarre places, and my neck twisted in such a violent way I could have sworn my head was going to come clean off.

Each treatment gave me relief in one way or another, and I was so grateful just to be able to move without cranking myself upright like an old clockwork doll or get a decent night’s sleep.

In fact, I had so many people prodding and poking me I began to get fascinated by the mechanics of the body and ended up taking myself off to college.

We really are remarkable, at least in the way our bodies work, and yet in these days of office jobs and games console exercising, it is easy to see why our bodies are packing in on us.

The human body, and backs in particular, is not designed for being hunched over desks or slumped in front of the television.

Hints and tips about good posture and benefits of exercise are easily available, but if you are hobbling around bent double, then trying to sit with your shoulders back and spine in a natural ‘s’ curve is laughable.

One thing that professionals seem to agree on is that resting and doing nothing is not the thing to do. Yet I’ve also found that what works for one person, won’t necessarily work for another. It makes sense; causes are different and therefore treatments can differ too.

However, I often think that problems such as back pain can be brushed under the carpet (providing that the afflicted can bend down that far) and not taken seriously or can turn into more of a psychological condition.

Now that’s not saying people are faking, rather that the presence of pain has been adopted into the mindset and it’s hard to get out of the habit of always expecting it.

Plus there is a tendency to pop a few drugs (remember the above mentioned horse tranquilisers?) and get on with it. Which is great for a slot of four to six hours, but doesn’t really do anything to tackle the underlying problem.

Many statistics estimate that between 80 to 85 per cent of people will suffer with back pain at some point in their lives. That’s a lot of people chucking ibuprofen down their necks.

Campaigns tackling back pain are becoming more prolific, but it’s a bit like the five portions of fruit and veg a day debacle – everyone knows what they should do, but few of us manage it.

For the record, I heard that we are actually meant to eat eight portions a day, but the powers that be decided our heads would probably explode if we had to force that much down and decided to go with five.

I’m as guilty as the next person; even more so as I’ve trained to help other people with such problems.

It’s always the small changes that can have the biggest impact over long periods of time but, as I’ve mentioned, breaking the bad habits is continuously the hardest part.

So if you’ve been hunched over reading this column and feel that nagging twinge in your neck, middle, or lower back, get up and do some stretching and make those muscles work. (No, playing the Wii doesn’t count!) "
That last comment is a blow! I have been "playing" at exercising on the Wii, I still get tired.
Note for anyone, on the new year I will produce a book on exercise at home, the aim is to show how you can start a fitness campaing, at home. No gym fees, or Gym visits, unless you want to.
I hope to produce a simple introduction to fitness, and then go on to produce a bigger, all bells and whistles product later in the year.
If anyone has any comments about this or anything, let me know.
Love as always
Paul
PS More about exercise and back pain, try http://www.backpainloss.com