How to lose weight if I have lower vertebrae problems?

Question

According to my doctor I am having lower back disc problems. I feel pain there almost all the times when I stand or bend my body backward.

Now, I am gaining fat and don't know how I can lose it as I can't do heavy exercises. What is an effective way to lose weight considering my lower back problem?

Answer 1

I have had several friends who have lost significant (75 pounds) by doing the paleo diet alone and didn't exercise due to medical conditions. Paleo Diet Lifestyle is a good website to get started.

As for exercising, what exactly is your disc problem? I am not a physical therapist, but as a nurse, I would recommend doing whatever kind of exercise you can tolerate and not overdo it. A lot of disc problems need rest, and some even need surgical fixture.

Answer 2

All disc problems are not alike. Some are bulging discs. Some are ruptured discs. The best way you will know what exercises are safe for your back is to have physical therapy.

Your therapist will evaluate your back and symptoms. They will correct muscle imbalances, soft-tissue and joint restrictions, and teach you corrective exercises as well as self treatment techniques including self mobilization and/or traction, or heat/ice to control symptoms. Once you have some control over your symptoms, they will help you establish a safe exercise program which may include:

• Walking (with or without nordic walking poles, or walking/exercising in water)
• Cycling - If you can't tolerate walking, cycling or using a recumbent cycle can allow you to burn calories.
• Strengthening - Safe ways to include strength training such as the ball wall squat with the ball giving the back support, using resistance bands, or other ways to support your back when lifting weight.
• Stretching - Tight muscles in the hips and legs can increase the strain on your back, so your therapist can give you appropriate stretches with the proper modifications.

When looking for a therapist, ask questions to make sure that you are getting one who specializes in backs and who will help you establish a good long term exercise program. I think you will find that you will get the best results with professional help. Otherwise you will have a lot of trial and error.

Also to reduce weight be sure to adjust your intake to your activity levels. Good luck. Hope that helps.

Answer 3

Your back problem Your back hurts because the myofascial lines on your back are overstretched. This is caused by your daily movement pattern. I guess you do a profession with a lot of sitting or light standing work? The one thing you should NOT do is stretch them even more or doing some abs exercises like sit-ups or crunches. This will make the pain in your back even worse!

Instead, you should do exercises that open your frontal muscle chains so that your back muscle chains can relax. A good movement to do this is [the crawl][1]. There are a lot of variations to do this movement. But my advice would be to start to do it against a wall. This way the impact of the force (gravity) on your body is less than when you would start on the ground. Take a look at these crawl based exercises I do with my clients:

Crawl against wall

Crawl against Rack

These movements will improve your back problem. BUT your problem is a long term thing. Don't expect it to go away quickly. You should give it some time and do a lot of these exercises. You should feel improvement and less pain after a few trainings.Leave those weights where they are. Gravity is more than weight enough. Listen to your body. Start at the wall and take it from there. If you feel that your movement is fluent you can choose to go closer to the ground.

Your weight problem AtlasRN is right. Paleo is definitely the way to go! Here are a few tips that should get you started for a successful weight loss journey:

1. Go easy on the sugar.
   Sugar makes you fat. That's how it is. Try to avoid it as much as possible. It's a poison. Look at [this lecture from Dr. Rober Lustig for more concrete info][1].
2. Don't eat processed foods.
   They are packed with poisonous substances such as colourings, preservatives, etc. Also they are packed with salts and heavy refined wheat and sugar. Make your own food and EAT REAL FOOD.
3. Stick with good and healthy fats.
   This means: lots of omega 3 fishy oils and good saturated fats from grass fed beef.
4. Eat lots of vegetables.
   and I really mean A LOT.
5. Drink water, tea or coffee.
   Skip juices and skip soda's.
6. Check out these info sources:
   Mark's Daily Apple
   The Paleo Diet
   Robb Wolf
   Ancestral Health (Vimeo Channel)
   Gary Taubes
   Free The Animal
   Latest in Paleo (Podcast)

Check out this info and you'll be on your way. Success.

Answer 4

1. Find some exercises you can do, such a swimming, water aerobics, or upper body weight lifting.
2. Stretch your back. Over time, this will allow you to do a LOT more. Do a Google search for lower back stretches and find some that work for you.
3. Eat less. The more you weigh, the harder it is on your back. It's hard to cut back on food at first, but if you are strict about it you'll get used to eating smaller portions. Count your calories. In order to lose weight, you must eat less than you use. It's the law. (of physics).