[Dr T]

I know full well that I need to work on my basic arm strength but I keep injuring my fingers so I've been back on the gym ball (body ball/swiss ball whatever)
anyways there's not been a lot of talk about gym ball with reference to core and general fitness/strength on here so I thought I'd talk it up a bit...
just over 12 months ago I had a microdiscectamy  (spelling???) on my L5/S1 which by all accounts, i.e. the surgeon said, had left my nerve f#cked.   So the physio had me swimming and doing gym ball for the recovery and whilst I'm back to climbing (and climbing better than before the op') I'm still doing both.
I know gym ball is a bit girly and all in some peoples eyes but it is really effective imho
even the rugger bugger kids at my school have seen how effective it is and the gym ball class, not run by me, is real popular with them

so one last bit of info I picked up this book at my physio and it's really bloody useful if anyones interested in giving it all a go

[Stu Littlefair]

Totally agree that the swiss ball is an effective and fun way to train core strength. As far as I'm aware, there is some controversy over whether they are actually better than performing the exercises on the floor, and there seems to be a lack of agreed methodology for measuring "core strength", which confuses the issue.

However, some form of core training is an excellent idea, swiss balls are at least as effective as conventional training, and probably more fun. For those who don't want to buy a book, a very very good training regime is in the National Strength and Conditioning Associations journal

http://www.nsca-lift.org/perform/issues/0206.pdf

[dave]

word, I was told a gym ball is good for doing pressups with your feet on it as the balance factor stops you favouring one arm over the other (allegedly).  i've done this, seems ok.

Also apparently if you want a badass workout you can fill one with water and try and pick it up. 
http://www.rosstraining.com/articles/thewaterball.html

[Andy B]

apparently if you want a badass workout you can fill one with water and try and pick it up. 
http://www.rosstraining.com/articles/thewaterball.html

 Never mind the waterball. I wanna do sledgehammer swings:

"Strike the tire with your sledgehammer for 20 reps"

[dave]

yeah that website is proper jackson.

Pushing a large SUV makes a great finisher to any workout.

I recon you could press a heavily laden L-reg transit campervan into service as a makeshift SUV for the purposes of training.

[SA Chris]

As an aside, why did you need the microdisectomy? I was told I might need one at some point after a skiing injury (hit a tree back first), but it has never given me much bother apart from occasional stiffness (touch wood).

[slackline]

occasional stiffness (touch wood).

On a more serious not injuries aren't fun, hope it doesn't worsen.

[Andy B]

yeah that website is proper jackson.

Pushing a large SUV makes a great finisher to any workout.

I recon you could press a heavily laden L-reg transit campervan into service as a makeshift SUV for the purposes of training.

I do find pushing the Exectutive to the Tideswell chippy a great finisher to any Tor workout.

[Paul B]

Another vote here for the swiss ball, I ended up using one to aid the recovery of my leg, mainly squats with it behind my back touching a wall, without it I just fell over (a lot). I'm not completely convinced as stu said that they are any better than just doing excercises on the floor however they're a lot more comfortable.

[Dr T]

As an aside, why did you need the microdisectomy? I was told I might need one at some point after a skiing injury (hit a tree back first), but it has never given me much bother apart from occasional stiffness (touch wood).

had a badly herniated disc between the L5 and S1 vertibra
showed up clear as day on the MRI
small bulges tend to fix themselves with physio etc and have sciatica symptoms
my symptoms were excruciating pain with any movement of the leg to the point that I couldn't walk
now it's a bit complicated because I was misdiagnosed by two doctors and a chiropractor (whose manipulation probably made it worse) so maybe if it had been treated correctly from the start it wouldn't have got bad but by the time I had the MRI it was deemed necessary to get me in for the next available surgery slot (thank whatever my job comes with BUPA)

So if all you get is stiffness then I'd advise a physio.   I'm a Doctor but not a medic so it's purely from personal experience but it's a pretty major piece of surgery, it includes partially removing a ligament between the vertebra then sticking it back, that and the muscle damage takes some time to get better (assuming the nerve is ok I think up to 6 months but I could be wrong my basic recovery took more like 9/10 months). I still have back problems but atleast I can walk and climb even if I can't run...

I'm not completely convinced as stu said that they are any better than just doing excercises on the floor however they're a lot more comfortable.

agreed.. and more fun

[SA Chris]

What caused it? I have no intention of getting anything done, just need to stretch it out occasionally.

[Dr T]

What caused it?

honestly no idea, probably tweaked it climbing (or falling more accurately) but in all probability I sent it from niggling to f#cked up turning the clay soil here over to prepare a veg plot...
of course those at work can't possibly believe that and it's all the "crazy" "dangerous" bouldering but hey if the physio, surgeon and NEW chiropractor are all happy for me to boulder then it can't be that bad for you
in truth I need to be a bit more careful about jumping off high balls etc but just taken delivery of a spanking new metolius cheap bastard from V12 (next day delivery as promised-thanks guys) so hopefully that'll be a bit more help than my ancient moon pad that served well but now bottoms out if you just stand on it!
font on Saturday... know it'll be hot but who cares early mornings and evening sessions wrapped around long afternoons dosing in the garden of the gite... 12 months later than planned - had to cancel last year with the whole, can't move off the sofa-just had my back cut open... in fact this was pretty much my entire summer holiday last year

[webbo]

i would be so bold/inpolite to suggest that your postion on the sofa might not do your back a lot of good.
nice pussy tho.

[Dr T]

i would be so bold/inpolite to suggest that your postion on the sofa might not do your back a lot of good.
nice pussy tho.

I would have agreed with you but actually lying like so with head prop'ed up is what they did to me in hospital so.... admittedly I got shouted at by the nurses for crossing my legs but...
because it was the disc at the bottom of my spine they op'd on I couldn't sit upright for quite a while so it was basically lying down or standing up and a very complicated, and often painful when I got it wrong, log roll to get from one to the other...
as for the cat, he and his sister kept me going whilst I was immobilised, it's true that they can sense what's happening to a certain extent, i.e. if you're sick or hurt or upset etc, and I sure they helped me recover quicker at least mentally

[Dr T]

talking of comforting things I've just noticed that if you look carefully you can see my Peter Rabbit plate from when I was a real nipper, funny what things you want when you're not feeling great....

[webbo]

speaking as a nurse i wouldn't trust anything i'd say never mind another member of the profession.