My Exercise Journey
Sharing my personal fitness journey, how I've adapted my workouts over the years, and how I stay active despite physical limitations. This is my story of finding movement that works for my body.
Remember: I'm not a certified personal trainer or fitness professional. This is my personal experience with exercise and what has worked for my body. Always consult with your healthcare provider before starting a new exercise routine, especially if you have physical limitations or health conditions.
My Fitness Story
Always in Motion
Throughout my life I have been a pretty active person. I love to be outside, take walks, rollerblade, etc. I may have been more diligent with exercise during some periods of my life than others, but I have always tried to stay active in some way.
My personality has always been, "I can do it!" Maybe there were a few times where I shouldn't have done it, whatever it was. I used to lift heavy objects that I shouldn't have, build retaining walls by myself (it still stands and looks great!), try Judo and fall incorrectly where I could feel my entire spine crack from top to bottom including my neck. The list goes on...
When My Body Said "Enough"
Ultimately, I believe I caused my own downward spiral of spinal issues over the years. It started when I was maybe 18 and has been a problem ever since. Jeez, there are so many possible reasons why I ended up with a bad neck and 3 disks in my lower back that are all but disintegrated now.
I have spinal stenosis, degenerative disk disease, numbness in my lower legs and some areas of my feet, permanent nerve damage (had a nerve study done) and probably other issues that I stopped asking about. I have had to learn how to work around these issues and find exercises that keep me balanced and moving without causing more damage. I have had to learn how to listen to my body and know when to push through discomfort and when to rest.
It has been a long journey of trial and error, but I have found a routine that works for me and allows me to stay active and healthy.
The Covid Walking Era
In the past 10 years or so, I have had to modify my exercise routine to accommodate my back, shoulder, neck, and knee issues. I used to walk a lot, especially outside. I love to walk on a nice day to relax. I love hiking and seeing new things.
When Covid hit, I walked so much that I ended up with hip bursitis and it felt like my toes were going to break off. It felt like I was walking on something like a gel pad under the balls of my feet. I went to the doctor, they did an ultrasound, and guess what! They couldn't find anything. Same old story. Probably arthritis, but more tests would need to be done. I did learn that I needed to warm up more before walking and stretch more after walking.
I have had enough MRIs, X-rays, physical therapy, and doctor visits to know that I am not going to get any more answers.
Finding What Works for My Body
I have found that low-impact exercises like elliptical training, max trainer (stepper), and aerobics videos work well for me. I also do strength training with light weights and resistance bands to help build muscle and support my joints.
Equipment alone wasn't enough—my joints needed more movement and flexibility work, and honestly, sticking to any single type of exercise gets mentally exhausting. Variety keeps me consistent. My current routine starts with a treadmill warm-up, moves into 10 minutes on the max trainer for sustained cardio, and finishes with a 20-minute aerobic video that builds both mobility and flexibility. It's taken time to figure out what my body can handle and what causes more harm than good.
How My Routine Has Evolved Over the Years
🏃♀️ Early Years
I used to be really into things like P90X and Tapout. I loved doing those exercises. I was in great shape, strong as can be, and very flexible. I was still able to do yoga, which was awesome because it helped me with flexibility and balance, but it was also great for relaxation and mindfulness.
Enter the building of the retaining wall and the ultimate emergency back surgery that followed. I had to stop doing all of those things and find new ways to stay active and healthy.
🔄 Adaptation Period
After I recovered enough from the surgery, I started to do some walking and light strength training. I had to be very careful with my back and avoid any exercises that caused pain. Over the following years, I ran into limit after limit of the exercises that I could do.
I had a number of epidural injections that would get me back to an almost normal state just to be back there again with my next round of modifications in my exercise routine. I really didn't think that I was going to ever find a true balance and almost begged to have my spine fused.
But the surgeon said it was not a good idea and it was also not permanent. Say what? Not permanent? How could that be? You are fusing the disks together, how could that not be permanent? Regardless, I had to find a way to work with what I had and find a routine that worked for me.
✨ Current Routine
Ultimately, I found some balance with my routine that keeps me moving for joint, heart, muscle, and general wellbeing. I have found signals my body gives me that tell me to stop and when I can push through a little more. They are subtle and I'm not sure I could describe them but I know when I feel certain tweaks or twitches and I need to stop immediately and others are just the normal discomfort one gets when exercising and building strength and endurance. I found that by ignoring the signals that I shouldn't have caused me to end up back in the hospital or back for another round of physical therapy. Let's just say that my ultimate goal besides balance is to stay out of the hospital! 😊
It is hard and I sometimes am afraid I will end up back in the ER again, but I don't do well at all without core strength and flexibility. The more balanced I am overall, the better I feel—which is really my ultimate goal: to feel good again.
What I Do Each Week
Cardio
- • Elliptical training
- • Max trainer (stepper)
- • Low-impact aerobics videos
- • Modified jump training for bone health
Strength Training
- • Light weights
- • Resistance bands
- • Exercise ball crunches
- • Planks (hold for 30-60 seconds)
Flexibility & Core
- • Back and core exercises on ball
- • Selected Pilates stretches
- • Hip flexor stretches
- • Modified stretching routines
- • IT band stretches (this is essential!)
Exercise With Physical Limitations
With spinal stenosis, degenerative disk disease, and hip bursitis, I've had to get creative with exercise modifications. I can't bend down gracefully for yoga poses because of my lower back issues. I still can't do full pushups because of my frozen shoulder. Just when I got most of my mobility back in my left shoulder, it jumped to my right! I'm still working to get mobility back in my right shoulder now.
Exercises I avoid: Traditional yoga flows, Pilates exercises that require kneeling or deep knee bends, extended treadmill walking that can hurt my feet and toes. (Remember, they have arthritis that burns too!) Any high-impact movements that compress my spine too much.
How I modify: I use an exercise ball for crunches to fully support my back. I do planks for overall core balance. For cardio, I stick to the max trainer and exercise videos that have low-impact options. For flexibility, I focus on stretches that target my hips and back without putting too much strain on my joints. I also incorporate some Pilates stretches at the end of cardio sessions—just the ones that help my back and hips without causing pain.
Listening to my body: I've learned when to push through discomfort and when to rest. Modified jump training helps my bone health, but I have to be very careful—too much can flare up other issues such as pins and needles in my feet caused by nerve compression. Some examples are low-impact jump squats, modified burpees, and step-in jump lunges. It's been a long journey of trial and error to find what works and what causes more harm than good.
Key Learnings
Listen to Your Body, Not Others
If you have physical limitations, it is so important to find exercises that work for your body and not try to do what everyone else is doing. I have had to learn this the hard way over the years, but it has made a huge difference in how I feel and my overall health.
Consistency Over Intensity
It's better to do a little bit regularly than to push yourself too hard and risk injury. Finding a routine that fits into your lifestyle and sticking with it has been crucial for my long-term success.
Adapt and Keep Moving Forward
Just because you hit another hurdle doesn't mean you should give up. There is always a way to keep going — you just have to find what works for you. I've had to adapt my approach more times than I can count, and each time I did, I came out stronger for it.
If you're unsure where to start, consider working with a physical therapist or trainer who can design a program around your specific needs and limitations. It's easy to unknowingly reinforce bad movement patterns, and a professional can help you find the right modifications so you're exercising safely and effectively.
How I Stay Motivated
Focus on consistency, not perfection. I know that balance in my physical health is critical to my overall wellbeing. The main purpose is to retrain yourself to exercise consistently—not to chase rapid weight loss or perfect form. Set aside the idea of perfection or losing 10 pounds in X weeks. If you focus solely on weight loss, you'll likely get discouraged when you don't see immediate results.
Something is better than nothing. If I don't feel like exercising, I don't get down on myself for just walking that day or doing a lighter aerobic video instead. Maybe I'll shorten my workout time. I try to move at least a little because it's better to do something than nothing. The longer you stop, the harder it gets to return to a routine.
Allow for setbacks. There are times when you just can't exercise—and that's fine. Don't give up. Focus on the process and the consistency, and the results will come over time. I remind myself of how good I feel when I am consistent with my routine, and I try to find new exercises that keep things interesting and prevent boredom.
My Favorite Videos
My go-to workout videos that I use regularly:
Neck Exercises for Headaches
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