I know what my problem is. Why I am not settled with this back pain business. I am not using any energy. No running. No swimming. No kayaking. No jumping up and down with the children, dancing around the front room. I have TOO MUCH ENERGY!
What the hell am I meant to do with it all? I really, really want to burn some calories, I want to exercise until it hurts, to sweat with expelled energy. I want to run in the rain, through the industrial estate near where I live and to the harbour, across the lock and to the sea while listening to Bruce Springsteen’s Born To Run.
People keep telling me that I have to learn to do ‘hew hobbies’, find things I can do from an armchair, and yes, I do. But, what about my energy?! what do I do with it?
It’s just dawned on me like a huge smack in the face that much of my emotional wellbeing issues are lack of physical exertion. Normally I do nothing slowly, I get up late for work, run around like a headless chicken and at work on time. I run up and down stairs (we have a lot of them) in and out of the house, I bounce and charge everywhere, every second of the day. I clean my teeth while brushing my hair and pulling on my socks, I talk fast, think fast, DO fast.
And now. Stopped. Dead. In it’s tracks. Everything is so Slow now. Getting dressed, moving up and down stairs, getting up and down from my sofa. And yes I am trying to do reverse crunches (reverse sit-ups, fab for 6-pack!) but they are not exactly calorie crunching are they?
So, Tell me, what do you with your unspent energy when you are in pain, or unable to do the things you normally do for other reasons? Give me your top tips for getting rid of this overwhelming desire to just take shit ton of drugs and run, and I will write a blog with all your suggestions.
Drive fast, but that’s probably not very sensible (if indeed you can drive – not always easy with a bad back). If you can manage to walk at all I would perhaps take a walk into Dartmoor. If you can manage a bit of a hill, up the track on the the gentle side of Great Mis, or the/back side of the Staple Tors to Roos Tor. Those all get you fairly easily onto what feels like the middle of the moor and a chance to blow away some cobwebs in a howling gale. If your back is too bad for that then maybe a gentle beach walk? Again the wind helps I find.
I thought about fast driving, that’s exactly the type of energy I need to get rid of! Great idea about a windy walk. I can walk, not far, not fast, but can and need to walk. And walking to Roos Tor, sounds good, as named for my son
great suggestions thank you.
If you can’t walk at all then a drive to Holming Beam. That takes you pretty much into the middle of the moor without walking, so again a chance to blow some cobwebs away.
Oh I have never been there. I might do that just to go somewhere new!
oh, is it near Two Bridges? I know it I think, if it’s where I think it is, I have been there.
Yes, go to Two Bridges then drive towards Tavistock, go up the first hill and it’s a little turning on the right, just past the houses, before a wall/plantation/cattle grid (I think – I might be imagining the cattle grid!)
I am going in the morning! first thing! thank you, I think it might actually be what I need! Let’s hope it’s windy…
Ah cross posted. I love Roos Tor – if you look north feels like you really are in the middle of nowhere. If you park in the big car park and walk around the side of the Staple Tors it’s reasonably gentle.