I put my back out on Thursday lifting a box of groceries from outside the front door. It wasn’t a big box but it had squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes and lots of other heavy things in it. On Friday I was hobbling around like an old woman which was very poor timing because I had the day off work and had hoped to do some gardening.
They used to recommend bed rest for a sore back but now they say it’s good to keep moving. I was able to go for a slow run which was somehow easier than walking and I did some exercises which helped. The cat-cow yoga pose was helpful as well as the child yoga pose. I also stood upright and swayed my hips from left to right. But the best thing was to sit in a squatting position.
Squatting is the natural human resting position but unless you live in an African tribe humans have lost the ability to do it beyond childhood because we’ve been trained to sit in chairs. In addition to being an active resting position squatting is also quite good for the back, better than a sitting position in a chair by a long way. This is a squat.
I find it quite hard to do but easier if I put something under my heels. My back is feeling much better today although still twingeing a bit.
Spring is here and I was able to harvest the first of the rhubarb.
It was even warm enough for us to eat dinner in the backyard with our lovely neighbour.
I made rhubarb crumble.
Victoria nearly ate some of my crumble which I left on the ground.
She spent some time basking in the daffodils.
Apparently we’re getting snow on Monday!
rachel.blog 
I find it difficult to squat because I have very high foot arches, and apparently that makes the muscles at the back of my lower legs (can’t remember what they’re called) short and tight.
Hope your back’s getting better. It’s so limiting when it plays up.
Yes squatting does stretch the calf muscles which is good too. I’m not sure how I’ll manage back at work tomorrow. I may have to squat in front of my laptop.
How do you get your rhubarb so far advanced. You live in the Arctic circle and I’m in sub saharan London and yours is weeks ahead of mine. Damn it Rachel, that’s just cruel!!
Haha I dunno! We are probably getting longer days than you by now and it is very bright and sunny in the northeast. Rhubarb grows very well here. It must like the climate. Maybe it likes the Arctic winters?
I got into squatting a few years ago when I realised I had tight hips. I did read somewhere a conjecture that people of Oriental have bodies that can squat more easily but I’m not sure I buy that theory. Unfortunately I have never been able to get over that I get pins and needles in my feet after about 10 minutes and I don’t know how people do this by default. It is useful if I have to wait somewhere there are no chairs though.
Hope the back keeps on improving.
I don’t find it particularly comfortable either but my hope is that’ll change with time. But maybe it’s too late to undo decades of sitting in chairs. It does help if you put something under your heels.
Try snowboarding. You’ll be doing a ton of squats instinctively 😉 Seriously, though. Hope your back gets better fast.
I’d love to try snow boarding one day. I need to get back into doing squats again.