Apologies in advance but this may be a long and comprehensive post. It is mainly for me to memorialize for myself.
As a long time sufferer of lower back and sciatic issues, I have known for too long that I need to seriously address flexibility and mobility improvement. My problem throughout has been that I would rather watch paint dry. Strength train. Hell, yeah. Beyond that, not so much.
I reached a nexus recently where I was faced with two competing challenges:
The first was once again dealing with a debilitating herniated disc in the lower back (don’t ask me how 🤷🏻♂️) that happens on average about twice a year. This leaves me lying on the floor all day and unable to stand upright at all. Picture a 90 year old man to visualize. Pain is my companion.
The second is that I have an overwhelming desire to get back to the game of golf after a hiatus of about 25 years. Then I carried a handicap index of 10 and played 4x per week
These two competing challenges are absolutely not ideal partners.
So while lying on my back I made the decision to commit to developing a comprehensive routine to finally address these flexibility and mobility improvement needs.
After four days of lying on the floor in pain I scheduled a massage session with a talented practitioner. I experienced immediate relief but the next day the improvement was scant. After that there was some small improvement taking place. Four days after the initial massage I had another. Improvement with the back and the sciatica was improving each day.
Two days later I began my new protocol. This plan incorporated two main parts: a comprehensive Mobility & Core regimen and adjustment to my strength training regimen.
For Mobility & Core I am performing 2 sets of 10 exercises/movements that occur on non-strength training days. On strength training days I have devised a reduced version of 1/7 for a warm-up.
For strength training I have adjusted my routine to simply maintain my current level of strength and muscle, which is already really good, instead of continuing to chase more.
So far, so good. After 8 days of instituting these new changes I am today pain free and much more loose. More than I have been since my 40s. Seriously, no bs. It should only get better from here. 🤞
I have 5 months until I can get back on a golf practice range so until then I will focus intently on grooving my tempo, rhythm, and swing plane with 2 tools that I ordered from Amazon in Germany. A golf swing rope and the European version of the Orange Whip.
I am not embarrassed to admit that I’m pretty pumped at this point. Both to get to work on the golf specific drills and to continue on with the flexibility and mobility work.
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