Part 2: Managing illness and injury

Fitness can help manage previous injuries and other ailments.

The Injury

In February 2018, I was at the gym trying to set a new 2 rep. deadlift personal record. After my first rep., I recall feeling mildly lightheaded and my vision blurred for a second, but my body felt fine. On my second rep, I felt extreme shooting back pain when I got to the top of the movement. That one move caused a disc to bulge in the lower left side of my back.

I noted my injury that day in my Apple Notes.

While in high pain resting against the rack safety bar, I took this photo.

For the rest of the day, I hobbled around with incredible pain, feeling like my abdominal muscles were working overtime just to allow me to stand upright. That one injury led to on and off pain and sensitivity in the years that followed.

Several times since that day, I have re-injured the same lower disc in my back and other times I have felt it become irritated without significant pain. For a while, I’d note in my workouts when I felt pain.

Managing lingering injuries

In the past few years, I’ve learned that listening to my body and understanding how I can reduce the pain and likelihood of re-injury should be a significant fitness priority. A few sessions of physical therapy back in 2019 was part of my fitness journey. I showed my physical therapist the record of what types of movements had caused me pain.

I didn’t go to physical therapy to recover from major trauma or surgery, but I understood that learning new movement techniques and how I could better heal my injury without re-injury would be a worthwhile out-of-pocket investment.

Part of my fitness maintenance now includes finding workouts and strengthening my body to reduce the chances that I will re-injure my back or further back pain and discomfort. I use a standup desk at the office and a standup desk apparatus at home 2+ hours each workday to prevent me from sitting all day. I also use an inversion table at home.

What my injury means to for my fitness

I want to keep my weight in check, I want to have a strong core and lower back that will support my injury without aggravating it, and I want to enjoy my hobbies and daily life without pain.

For me, fitness helps me manage my back pain, but for others, they may have other injuries or ailments that need attention. Diabetics need to be careful about their diet and exercise routines because of sensitivities to their blood sugar. People with thyroid disorders work to maintain proper hormone levels. People have a tendency toward moderate to severe anxiety and depression. These are all areas where fitness may improve quality of life. Lawyers, often facing high anxiety from clients and internal demands, can use fitness to increase their dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin levels—boosting their mood and improving how they feel about their careers and life.

Consider thinking more broadly about how fitness may improve your injuries and diagnosed or undiagnosed issues. In what ways can a broad conception of fitness inspire you to find creative solutions to managing your illnesses more effectively?

I remain grateful that I can use fitness to moderate my back pain and allow me to live life to the fullest

Keep working on your LawyerBody.

If you haven’t read pt 1., discussing the importance of weight, find it here.