“I can fix my car before class. I’ve done it before.” Famous last words.
All I needed to do was lift the left rear quarter panel and pop it back into place—simple, right? Not exactly. Within seconds, my lower back went into spasm, and just like that, my strength vanished.
Still, I brushed it off, told myself, “It’s just muscular,” and limped off to teach my Senior Shape Up class.
Ignoring My Own Advice
If this had happened to someone else, I would have immediately told them to stop everything—seek medical attention, rest, ice, or both. But me? I powered through an hour of resistance training, ran errands, and ignored the warning signs. By the time I got home, I knew I was in trouble. It still took three more hours before I did the right thing—canceling my next day’s appointments to truly rest and recover.
The Bigger Issue: Society & Downtime
Sound familiar? In today’s world, taking time off—even for real health issues—feels like a luxury. This is especially true during cold and flu season, where people push through illness, spreading germs or performing at half-capacity simply because they can’t afford to stop.
I recently attended a talk by Dr. Hans Gruenn, M.D., a specialist in naturopathic, functional, and integrative medicine. His key takeaway? The body knows what it needs. It sends clear messages, and we ignore them at our own peril.
Lesson Learned (Sort Of)
As I write this, I’m semi-heeding that advice—resting, icing my back, but still working. Old habits die hard. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: listen to your body. It’s smarter
