Spending too much time sitting is a real danger during these quarantine times. There might be a lot of jokes about the people who are taking their dogs on fifteen walks a day, or eye rolling over the people who are still braving golf courses and hiking trails, but these people are not necessarily on the wrong track. They might be risking a bit if they aren't masked and steering clear of other humans, but the fact that they are out there continuing to move is a point in their favor.
Me, I have gone the other direction. I've spent so much time sitting on my bed, watching TV, that I've compressed a permanent dip in the mattress right next to the pillows. Even when I was out front, frantically ripping creeping bellflower from my flower garden, I was sitting on the ground, all my weight on my right hip, with my legs tucked under me on the left. This is the way I always sit when unsupported. It causes me lasting problems, and it appears to have been one of a cascading set of unforced errors I've committed over the last month. I should have been walking around much more than I have been. And now it's too late.
For about four days, I've been pretending my backache/right hip pain was no big deal. It has been getting worse, making it where I can barely hold my arms away from my body empty-handed, and holding any kind of weight is ill-advised. By last night it was obvious I'd crossed a line. I barely slept a wink, with the right side of my body on fire from inflammation and knotted muscles. I lost much of today to tramadol and naps, and I will still be able to sleep more tonight. I don't know whether I'll be able to soak this away with hot water. It might be time to thaw out some food from the freezer by wrapping it in a towel and setting it against my hamstring. I promise, once I get the inflammation under control, I will take the hint and get more walking in.
No comments:
Post a Comment