Unicycling helping my back pain

[Spinningwoman]

Originally Posted by TEAL

Besides... How else could I drink my coffee in the morning while "running"?

I now have a new goal...

[57UniRider]

Quote:
Originally Posted by TEAL View Post
"...I find it's also an awesome alternative to running. It's basically like running on a soft cloud at higher speeds while also being a solid core workout."

Hello Teal
Would you say it is an aerobic workout? like running??
It certainly is a workout for me, but I thought I was eventually supposed to get to where riding feels like a comfortable stroll. I have never gotten beyond the "breathing heavily" after about a mile (or less) stage.

Also... I looked up this post to read about back pain. (I wasn't expecting to find it as a current thread.)

Unicycling CAUSES back pain for me. I am reminded now (getting back to riding after slacking off for a year or more) that possibly the main thing that caused me to slack off is back pain. Thank you to krjames for advice on how to work on this. Everytime I ride I think sit back. Don't lean forward, and try pushing the abdomen / belly forward. I'm hoping I can ride through the back pain issue now and get on with enjoying longer and longer rides. At my best, I was riding nonstop for about 45 minutes, but I'm having to work back up to that now. The back pain is in my way...even when I am pretty sure I'm sitting up straight.

Keeping on keeping on. Again.

[kamikaze]

Originally Posted by 57UniRider

Hello Teal
Would you say it is an aerobic workout? like running??
It certainly is a workout for me, but I thought I was eventually supposed to get to where riding feels like a comfortable stroll. I have never gotten beyond the "breathing heavily" after about a mile (or less) stage.

You'll get to a point where you can ride effortlessly. But people usually use their improved skill to go faster, which means you have less time to react and need more force to make all the small corrections.

[Danny Colyer]

Originally Posted by kamikaze

But people usually use their improved skill to go faster, which means you have less time to react and need more force to make all the small corrections.

It's often said of bicycling that it doesn't get easier, you just get faster.

Although with unicycling, it gets easier and you get faster.

[MarkWilliamson]

Has anyone sampled the various product mentioned here, and can they tell which one is the best? -https://chairsbuddy.com/best-back-supports-for-office-chair/

[MUCFreerider]

An exercise ball or "Pezzi Ball" works great for me, e.g. https://www.amazon.com/CanDo-Deluxe-...gateway&sr=8-4

According to "experts" you're supposed to sit on it for 1-2 hours at a time and then rotate with a normal chair, but I've been using a ball as my office chair for close to 10 years now and sit on it all day. The combination of unicycling and sitting on the ball has cured all of my lower back issues!

As the ball moves under you, it requires you to activate your back muscles and strengthen them as well as continually circulating the fluids in the discs in the back. As the discs don't have an active blood supply or active fluid transfer but rely on passive fluid exchange/osmosis, the theory is that sitting in an office chair compresses the discs like a sponge and presses the fluid out so they become less fluid and vibrant). Sitting on the ball works wonders for me. Of course, you need the appropriate size for your height, usually around 75-85cm.

[Setonix]

Originally Posted by 57UniRider

Everytime I ride I think sit back. Don't lean forward, and try pushing the abdomen / belly forward. I'm hoping I can ride through the back pain issue now and get on with enjoying longer and longer rides.

Maybe even though you sit up straight on the uni, you feel a little stressed as well and sit a little to cramped on the uni. The only problem I have is with my right leg that sometimes feels twisted when I do longer rides. For my back it feels very nice. I've come to a point when unicycling is more comfortable than just walking. With some sandy hills I just can't ride up and have to walk, but as soon as I can ride it feels like home again. While riding I normally hold the seat with 1 or 2 hands and get cramped a bit more as I'm making speed, but to feel more relaxed, I can sit up straight and let my hands drop beside me.
I guess you can just try the differences and see how they feel for you.

[mrfixit]

Not back pain, something different.

I HAD a bunch of aches and pains that were becoming more and more frequent, that seemed to come on , move around and disappear and return for no reason at all. ARms, legs torso, wherever. A bunch of mysterious sensitivities/ tenderness, and other troubles that I thought were related /caused by LYME disease or some other neurological/neuropathy issue. Although several Lyme disease tests were negative, I spent days combing the internet to try to self diagnose my woes, while keeping a log of what felt bad, where and when. All I found was there's a lot of people out there with mysterious pains.

Then I started unicycling, but for a strange reason, only to prove to my teenage son that he could do it.

So I figured it out and wanted to do more, to get some exercise and lose weight. I lost weight, gained some back, but all my aches and pains have disappeared almost instantly , and have been gone , now for two years.

I feel great, 10 years younger, and have a whole new way I see the world.
When I unicycle , I feel more alive, invigorated..not only during, but all the time.
I can't really explain it, getting exercise, getting healthier, and, improving my abilities. I'm hooked, and miss it when the weather is crappy. I think I needed a change in my life, and this has been a very positive effect that I never anticipated.

Heck, even my teenage daughter thinks it's cool.

[BenBrown]

Quick self observations:
1st My body is Not my slave that has no limits. If it needs a certain amount of rest to heal, it needs it. Cool/warm compresses are my friend.
2nd. Lack of hydration is my first enemy. (a de-inflated disc amplifies injury)
3rd. Lack of circulation is the foundation for injury.(DON'T CLOG the ARTERIES!!!)
4th - pre warm up is just basic good sense. (think help the fluid reinflate things.)
5th - flexibility/strengthening off the unicycle IS important too, but do little without the above.
6th - if I've been bed ridden from the flu a week or so, or inactive a prolonged period of time its extremely unwise to simply jump on the unicycle and do any demanding stuff without a couple of days to get back into some. See #1.

Having said all of that, definitely, unicycling has helped my back.

Regarding #3. When I started following Dean Ornish's plan for Reversing Heart Disease (American Medical Association - agrees it works, but think Americans can't do it! It reverses narrowing of the arteries by lifestyle, not medications.) I found my body definitely recovered from back stress, like catching 400 pound clients, far easier. I also learned not to fully catch them...

Regarding #4. In PT it was suggested I do really low impact off the unicycle warm up of 10 minutes before the real exercise.