Morning Routine

After my first round of problems with herniated disks seven years ago, my morning routine became a maintenance routine. I did physical therapy after an MRI diagnosed that I had two herniated disks in my lower back. My therapist was awesome. She had the just right bubbly, perky, encouraging personality that I needed to make me stop feeling sorry for myself and do the work that I needed to do to get better. I wanted to avoid back surgery at all costs. Angela gave me some exercises to do at home, so I incorporated them into my morning routine. I still do those exercises every morning along with some new ones that I got when I had my second round of problems three years later. I can't tell you the last time I missed a day of doing them. It is too important to me to not go back to that prison of pain again.

My morning routine starts with weighting myself. I did this even before I started Weight Watchers. I need to stay accountable to myself each and every day. After I weigh myself I come upstairs and check my email. Lately, my emails are filled each morning with encouraging words from the on-line classes I am currently enrolled in. After email is cleaned up I make my breakfast, which never varies when I am home. Two 8 oz. glasses of chocolate milk, one to take with all my vitamins, and one to enjoy with my toasted english muffin spread with Cherry Republic Cherry Berry Jam.

I do my daily devotions while I eat breakfast. I have been reading through the Bible and just started over with Genesis. (I started with the Psalms, not sure why I started there, I just did)

After breakfast it is shower time, warms up the muscles before my stretches. I do about 20 minutes of stretches after the shower and then a 15 minute core muscle strengthening yoga routine. I started doing yoga about 1-1/2 years ago through our local hospital wellness program. I find it to be very helpful for my back and builds my core strength.

My dogs know my routine so well, after stretches and yoga, I go upstairs and grab my socks and tennis shoes, and a couple of dog leashes. Riley, Scout and I set out for our 3 mile morning walk. Dogs are a great motivator to walk. All Scout has to do is stare at me with his puppy dog sad, brown eyes and I am a goner.                                                        

Once we get back from our walk the rest of the day can begin. It takes some careful planning some days to make sure I can get it all done, but the fear of going back to that house of pain that I experienced seven years ago keeps me on the straight and narrow path of a reality pain free life.