Hello everyone

[jvt]

I'm finally mustering up the courage to post an intro! I'm 38, female, married with two dogs and five horses to keep me fit.

Up until 2012 I thought they did! In Nov 2011 I had a bad fall from someone else's horse and on MRI found I have lots of bulging discs in my c-spine. Hence the neck pain. Go figure! I also had whiplash and the rattling of my head managed to damage the nerves supplying the muscles to my eyes. So for months I was unable to balance or read or function normally. Thank goodness they repair themselves, it just takes 12-18 months.

It brought me up short, and in getting through the physio, acupuncture and every other sort of treatment to try to sort out my neck, I stumbled upon the idea that I might be able to help myself as well. (!)

That got me into barefoot (my horses already are!) and from there to paleo which brought me to NF... The rest is history as they say!

I started with running very gradually to get used to my feet actually doing some work. I changed diet and I started to feel loads better.

I am already doing stretch and core exercises, so then added the beginner body weight circuits.... Am now up to three reps and can manage them with less huffing and puffing than my gym-boy husband. Ha!

I got bored of running once I could run for half an hour, so switched to interval training, and was on 4 reps of 2 mins run then 30sec sprint and repeat.... It killed me to start but I was just at the stage where I could go to five...

Then Christmas came, and I was doing so well, no alcohol, no extra food, then boom. Chest infection, grounded, feel rubbish and have no ability to breath so no exercise for me :-(

I feel like the exception to the rule, I should be healthier than ever, but just now, I'm not!

So, first of many questions... What are the safest exercise to do once I start to feel better. It's been five days and I'm going a bit stir crazy. I'm managing to walk the dogs, so maybe I should just start off by increasing that then maybe adding a bit of jogging in? I can't lie down, (as I cough my gunky lungs up) so decided body weights probably not the best plan... (On the plus side, my lung capacity must be much better than pre-exercise, so that should help, right?)

What does everyone else do when you are on the sick list?

Anyhow, great to be here, hope everyone else is having a fab holidays and managing to keep to their goals!

[Lydieboo]

Low-level cardio.  Are you familiar with MarksDailyApple.com?  He is a big proponent of low-level, sustained activity.  While your body is healing itself you need to get plenty of rest, but that doesn't mean you have to be stagnant.  Just do things at a low enough level of impact that it doesn't wear you out.  You may have to take a step or two back once you're back into training, but at least you won't be losing what you've already gained.

 

Keep eating healthy.  That's the big one.  And good luck!