Just finished Day 1 of Week 2, and this was definitely the most physically and mentally demanding session for me so far. A lot of these movements are ones that typically make my back sensitive, so I really had to focus on staying calm and not letting the sensations send me into fight-or-flight. The back extension on the ground was interesting. I didn’t feel it in my low back, but I did feel some pretty strong pressure/sensations through my mid-back. Because of that, I didn’t complete the full two sets. I did about a full set on the first and roughly half the reps on the second. It wasn’t necessarily painful, but it was enough of a sensation that I didn’t want to push past my tolerance. Going into the deadlifts was probably the biggest mental challenge. I haven’t done that motion in quite some time, so I really had to use some words of affirmation and remind myself that I was safe and capable. I used a barbell, which actually made it easier to shift my weight back, and that was encouraging. It was definitely a little scary, but I felt pretty stable through both sets. I just kept reminding myself that I was okay and didn’t need to react to the movement. With the kickbacks, I noticed something interesting. When I raise my left leg, I tend to shift and arch my back more compared to my right side. That actually felt uncomfortable. When I looked in the mirror and made a very small adjustment to my hip position, the sensation on the left side subsided. That was really encouraging to notice. The arm raises were probably the most uncomfortable from a neck standpoint. I noticed my neck really wants to turn on during that movement, and I felt quite a bit of discomfort there. Overall, definitely a challenging session, but I’m trying to view the sensations as information rather than something I need to fear. The fact that I was able to complete the deadlifts, stay relatively stable, and make small adjustments without things escalating feels like a win. On to Day 2.

Anyone else in the always on pattern? What has helped you? Low back is tense on both sides right now and noticed neck tension and discomfort when I do the swimming motion.