A great reason to get out walking if you have back pain – even if you have to suck it up and use a walker. My pain has improved SO MUCH, that I feel I need to post in case it helps anyone else. According to my MRI, I have “severe spinal stenosis” in my lower back. I had become inactive and was getting worse when suddenly, I had an epiphany! My legs are strong. My upper back is strong. Why can’t I go further than the end of my street? Well – because my lower back pain requires me to sit and rest. Guess what? A rollator/walker would solve that problem! So, I got past the “old lady” stigma and got one. Now I can walk much longer because I can sit when I have to. I do not use it in the house or for ordinary errands. Just for my daily walk. I slowly worked up from a very short distance in 6 minutes a day, to a little over a mile in 23-25 minutes. It took about 6 weeks to get there, but it was so worth it. I go out for a half hour every day now. The extra five minutes over my walking time is my “sit and rest” time. The result? I no longer need my cortisone shots, have cut my pain level tremendously, and have reduced my daily Tylenol intake. I walked SLOWLY at first. Concentrated on my time walking only – did not think about distance at all. After I was able to walk for 20 minutes, I began increasing my speed. It truly has been life changing. You just have to think of the rollator as exercise equipment that will make you stronger every day. As for weight, I was able to lose the weight I had gained with inactivity. Here is me on an easy trail in the Adirondack Region of NY – but my daily walk is just in my neighborhood. Another plus? Getting to meet more of my neighbors, and I don’t have to waste time driving to the gym.
