Welcome to the MTM forums. Sounds like you enjoyed all the sports I like. I’ve been through a similar transition, from very active to work gets in the way (too a point) and back to very active. Sounds like you’re doing great with a weight loss and exercise program, you just need to make a few modifications to help with the back soreness. First Congratulations on your progress so far. It’s great that you are looking for a way to work through the issues instead of looking at it as an excuse to stop. Here are my thoughts, and I’m sure others will fill in with more.
First - Warm-up is critical. As we all get older (well just a little older) we need to be more careful with warming up the muscles and preparing them to exercise. This means at least 10 minutes of some very light exercise to get the heart rate up and get the blood flowing to the muscles.
Next - Stretching. Focus on the muscles that will be worked, and in your case I would also make sure the back, obliques and abs are included as well as quads, hamstrings, hip flexors, shoulders, etc. I also have back problems and stretches that focus on the large muscle masses in the hips and thighs help too.
During your workouts concentrate on form with the free weights more than the amount of weight lifted. As you fatigue, when your form goes, that’s when you stop. Free weights are different from machines because you don’t have the machine available to maintain form. When the form goes, the primary muscle you are working is essentially at the failure point and the only reason you can continue to lift is that other muscle groups come in and help (although poorly with risk of injury). If your primary goal is weight loss, you don’t need to push the cardio very hard, just go for the long slow burn. That means a longer workout at a lower heart rate. The long slow burn doesn’t put as much stress on the muscles that may be causing your problems, but allows them to burn the fat.
I strongly recommend adding Yoga to your routine since it both stretches and strengthens the core muscles. My next recommendation is to learn some core balance ball exercises. This is my favorite piece of exercise equipment and it is great for improving the tone of the core muscles. Any exercises that improve balance also improve the core muscle strength. If you purchase an exercise ball, most come with some basic core routines on DVD. If you work with a trainer, you might ask for suggestions, or just post a question on the MTM forum.
Finally, the cool down. After your workout, bring your heart rate down gradually and stretch again. This is where you will get the greatest benefit from stretching. The muscles are already warm and are fairly loose due to the fatigue. Don’t stretch to the point of injury, but feel a nice gentle stretch, then hold for as many seconds as your age. It’s better to do a few stretches well than lots of stretches for only a few seconds each. This is not the place to cut back because of time. If you are short of time, cut back somewhere else, but not the warm up and cool down.
Even though you are working at a desk job, you should be able to get up and move around for at least 5 minutes each hour. It doesn’t take much to loosen and stretch the muscles that may be tightening up while working. Watch your posture when you’re at your desk and make sure that your desk and chair are comfortable. I keep a balance ball in my office for occasional stretching as needed, but if that’s not practical, then look into some simple stretches that can be done fairly inconspicuously.
A little ibuprofen may help get through the acute inflammation associated with your back pain, but if you stay with a consistent exercise program designed to strengthen the muscles, you will need less and less.
While you’re posting, I would recommend checking out the 100 days of exercise forum. I’m sure you would find lots of helpful information there as well as a very motivating group.
Let us know how you are doing.
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