I am back writing about my wellness journey. It was a good idea to write about my health at first, but I lost my desire to share my process. Three months ago, I strained my back dancing (I am a professional dancer if you are new to my website), and I have been out from doing a considerable part of my life- movement. I love all movement, not just dancing. When I am not able to use my body, it can be very tough for me to be motivated and I can get anxious.
This blog post is me posting about my journey back to full mobility and full ability to dance. This injury has been a frustrating process for me since the original timeline for me to be back to entirely dancing was set to be at the beginning of January, and it is currently the middle of February, and I am not close to getting fully back. That being said, I want to move forward and get better even if it is at a slower pace than I anticipated.
This is me using a Pilates Reformer
The injury I have is a lower lumbar strain. A lot of my rotating motions in my upper body are minimal, and I cannot lift mostly anything besides lightweights.
I have been going to physical therapy for two months now trying to build my abdominal core strength to offset the load I usually put into my back which caused the strain in the first place. To strengthen my abdominal core, I am mostly using a Pilates Reformer. I do not own one, so when I am not at my physical therapy clinic, I do a few Pilates Mat movements that engage the core without crunching my back. I feel my core strength has increased in the last month during my physical therapy.
Something I have not been good at doing and I need to get better at doing is consistently stretching my legs. When I was in the ballet studio for 8 hours a day, it is easy to find time to stretch, and you are around dancers who are also stretching. Since I am not at the studio for 8 hours a day, I need to be better at carving out time each day to roll out my legs on a foam roller, as well as do some stretches that don’t twist my back.
This is me rolling out on a foam roller.
I have started to take a little bit of barre in ballet class. I modify the different movements, so my back does not flare up. I do not do a lot, but baby steps are more progress forward than none at all.
The hardest part of this whole injury is my mind. I can doubt and beat myself up in my mind. I can become insecure from lies that I stir in my head. I would be lying if I told you that I was not disappointed that I cannot dance. That being said, it is easy to wallow in that sorrow and let that sorrow paralyze me from progressing forward. The most significant thing I need to strengthen every day is my psyche! I hope by writing about my progress, it keeps me pushing forward. Thank you for all of your support! This injury has not been a fun injury for me, but I am excited to get back to dancing.
Follow along on my other social media platforms to see my latest updates throughout the week!