The Never Ending Excuses
When it comes to exercise, admittedly, I’m incredibly lazy. I will find almost any excuse not to exercise, and if given a choice I will always, always choose rest. Not that rest is ever high on my list of life choices anymore.
I don’t mind the physical act of exercising so much, and sometimes I actually quite enjoy it. It’s the motivation to start that I deeply struggle with. I’ve always been this way, but more recently with an almost 18-month-old and a new business that takes up all of my Elsie-free moments, I just can’t seem to carve out the time to move my body.
Before Elsie wakes up at 6:30 am? No chance. After the daycare run? But there are emails I need to get back to. At lunch? But I would have to change, and I’m hungry. After dinner? But I’m full. After Elsie goes to bed? But I need to work. Before bed? But I’m too tired.
There just never seems to be the time. However, like money, time is only spent on what we prioritise, and this year, I’m choosing to spend more of my time prioritising my health and wellness. I’m determined to start my journey to becoming healthier, stronger, and pain-free.
Chronic Pain & Parenting
I’ve suffered from back pain since my early 20s, becoming chronic and unbearable at times in my 30s, and I recently learned this is due to a degenerative lower disc – among other things, I’m sure. If you look at my MRI, the disc basically doesn’t exist anymore, and what’s left has slipped and pokes into my spine.
I also have Hashimoto’s disease, either an overactive or underactive thyroid (honestly, I’ve lost track at this point), off-the-charts high antibody levels, and 18 months later still feel like my abdominal muscles haven’t recovered from the cesarean birth of my daughter – not the birth experience I had hoped for, but that’s another story.
My body is, quite frankly, a bit of a mess. I wake up every morning feeling like my back has been wrapped in barbed wire, and with every movement, the wire rips through my body – my partner makes fun of my constant explanations of my “ripping” pain.
Rolling over in bed hurts, let alone getting up to lift my daughter out of her cot. Every morning, I tell myself that I can not live like this another day. I tell myself, today is the day I prioritise exercise and get stronger.
Discovering Pvolve
I first heard of Pvolve on the Oversubscrbed Podcast – I think they stopped recording when Erin & Sara Foster got too busy with Nobody Wants This – but an episode from June last year featured an interview with Pvolve Founder, Rachel Katzman. Something about how she spoke of her own experience, the program, and the movements she developed resonated with me.
My interest was really piqued when I heard that Jennifer Aniston had tracked Rachel down to ask if she could become an investor in the company after discovering the workouts and finding herself in the best shape of her life at 50+.
During her college years, Rachel was diagnosed with the back condition scoliosis, and Jennifer had suffered a back injury prior to discovering Pvolve, so knowing these women were living with similar pain to myself, I knew I needed to look further into it.
When I looked at the program online, I immediately knew in my (aching) bones that this was how I needed to move my body – length, stretching, mobility, and strength.
Pvolve have in-person studios in the United States, and for those outside of the U.S, you can stream the workouts online (or on their app), and their patented equipment is available for shipping to Australia (phew!).
I jumped online and spent far more money than I could afford on the Signature Bundle and the P3. Trainer – note, I bought them during the Black Friday sales, and they do often have great sales, so keep an eye out.
Late last year, when the equipment first arrived, I read somewhere in the marketing materials that you would feel a difference after just three workouts, and I thought, bullshit. Turns out, I did. Like the morning after my visit to SAINT weeks earlier, I woke up in significantly less pain for three whole days.
I exercised for four days straight and woke up barely recognising my body – the workout queen, a changed woman! Then, Christmas came around, and it took me until the 21st of January to exercise again.
Finally, Making Time for Fitness
Four days after my 40th birthday, on a Tuesday at 10pm – after dinner, after Elsie was asleep in bed (and before she woke again at midnight and pooed through her pyjamas), after I went back to work for a few hours – I walked over to the exercise mat that had been sitting outside my office door all day, that I’d ignored and stepped over at least 25 times, and I did a 45-minute Pvolve workout.
Within the first minutes, I already felt better, energised, motivated, proud of myself, and relief in my aching body.
Last week, I completed five workouts in total. Some were simply short stretching programs, and some weren’t done until 11pm when I finally dragged myself away from the computer, but the good news is I’m doing them. I’m finally making time to prioritise my health and wellness, and I’m actually enjoying it.
On the days I have time for a longer workout, I’ve been completing a six-part Lower Back Support Series, co-created with Pvolve’s Doctor of Physical Therapy, Dr. Amy Hoover. Pvolve describe the series as ‘the first workout collection clinically proven to significantly reduce lower back pain, improve functional ability and core strength’.
Well, Dr Amy Hoover, you really have your work cut out for you with my back and core, but let’s give this a go!
As I attempt to prioritise wellness amid the chaos this year, I will continue to share the journey with The Paige readers. Join me as I navigate the excuses and the challenges, conquer my laziness, and celebrate the little victories along the way. Get exclusive updates (and the details I won’t share on the internet) by signing up for our newsletter here.
The writer of this article was gifted a one-month trial for Pvolve’s online program. All other equipment and an ongoing membership are at the personal expense of the writer. All opinions expressed are based on the writer’s personal experience.
The content in this article published by The Paige is provided for entertainment and general information only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should not be relied on as such. Always consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns about your health or medical conditions.
