First, be your own best ally and advocate. Every body and everybody is different; environment, genetics, age, and health issues are so variable that you need to listen to your own body and consult a practitioner in the modus you prefer, typically referred to as a physician.

Long and the short of it, I'm a 38-year-old combat vet. There are a lot out there now. There are also a lot of blue collars that build everything we see, and it takes a toll. Hell, you could be a doctorate student hunched over the books and computers too much. Chances are that you'll also deal with some body imbalances or trauma that will come full circle and require you to pay attention.

That's where I found myself; not physically out of whack, but I went from pounding my body to dust to working too long in front of a computer. Especially through COVID, I poured myself into work or spending time with the family, all sitting.

The two extremes compounded into a very unstable state of still thinking I was in my 20s, which caught up to me. Embarrassing as it is to admit, the thing that finally took me out was three hours of ski ball and not acknowledging that something was wrong the next day. I like to compound activities. While working a side hustle cleaning a gym, I would mix in a workout. Not every week, but not uncommon. The rule is that every time I went up and down the stairs for the typical cleaning routine, I followed it with a set of pull-ups, push-ups, core, and kettlebell swings.

The first set of kettlebells, my sciatica clamped down as it shriveled into a badly burnt piece of jerky. So, I started my several-month journey to where I am now writing this. I couldn't put on socks or pants, y'all.

Went to my general practitioner, a chiropractor, and a physical therapist. Luckily I could set up a lying desk routine, which saved the work situation. Beyond this, a good TENS unit helped. Side note to advocate for yourself: I was very sensitive to the TENS unit to start; it nearly threw me into very uncomfortable muscle contractions somewhat easily at first.

I wanted to put out into the world some of the things that I have incrementally found shifted my body's pain and symptoms and have fundamentally changed my lifestyle in the long run. Much of what I will continue with is not easy or comfortable...and that's kinda the point of a concept I'm calling equilibrium of (dis)comfort. Sitting on the floor, for instance, I do it to make myself slightly uncomfortable so that I am incentivized to shift my spine; hell, even to pay attention to it at all, and correct what I can. If you can put up with it, some of the following information may be able to help you gain a little of what I found: matching your environment to your body to help you maintain better. First, survive (bring things to a baseline), then thrive (where the real work begins).

This information will change over time because I'll be changing, adding, and subtracting things as I get ideas and start doing actual digging and research into what I'm onto. Hopefully, eventually, it will get someone who knows what they're talking about into this room so that they can laugh at how hopeless I was at first but grew to an understanding over time that does work and will lead to a greater quality of life.

No Heels On Shoes

Perhaps there is something to heels on shoes possibly making our ankles so weak (collapsed arch) that perhaps our lower leg rotates in, rotating the femur (or at least building up pressure) and collapsing the hips, resulting in a hyper-extended low back arch to compensate, weak core work, and poor upper body posture. This daisy chain results in compounding levels of back pain from pure laziness. Beyond getting rid of the 90/90 (sitting on a chair/degree at hips and knees; more on this below), starting from the ground was something else that came up while doing cursory research.

I have found that it's not all about going hardcore. In fact, the reductionist movement in shoes will require a lot more care. The muscles and coordination aren't built up, and it could be weak ankles, calves, or shins, but eventually, it will lead to painful lessons, as it did for me.

I started with my first pair of Xero Shoes, many more Xero Shoes, a pair of canvas Splays (I like these for casual), and then some Vibram's 5-Finger Z-Trek (mainstays for outdoors, unless conditions are averse, and even when conditions are).

...In Fact, No Shoes at all

I have the luxury of not needing to wear anything on my feet throughout the day, so I try to spend as much time without any shoes at all. I'll clip my Xero Aquas to my belt and only put them on when going in stores, gassing up my truck, or other necessities (be civil). It's another reason I enjoy having a gym like Austin Bouldering Project; you can be that kinda weird and it's not a big deal.

One observation, I would say; you and I would benefit from some real core work. That's been just as much a kick in the teeth while adjusting as anything else. It helps with balance and handling sharp stones going into a foot pad. Keep your trunk tight and adjust (give slack) when necessary. It is part of a concept I keep calling out in my head: Be Full of Intent.

With central Texas heat coming up, I'm getting out into the cul-de-sac to build up some calluses and adjust to a modicum of heat on my feet. This takes time; at month two I was still pretty sensitive. Even though I'm shoe-free most of the day, my day-to-day isn't super hard on my feet, so their sensitivity is going down slowly; and I'm perfectly fine with that. Moving too quickly is injury inevitable; be careful.

Live From The Ground Up

I lived for a brief time, in a place that didn't have furniture in the sense that typically Western society thinks of furniture. I think of the derivation of the church pew. It's probably much more comfortable than a fallen oak, but pre and even post-industrial revolution, you'd get out of the church pew and spend much of your work life standing up or at least moving around.

With sedentary work, it's the church pew for a third of your life, and much more on the couch, at the dinner table...unless you're sleeping, you're more than likely at a 90/90; driving also! You get the point.

The alternative in the alluded to experience was a brief period marked by building up thin mats of varying material, typically foam pads lined by cotton textile. You could make a comfortable lounge, or at least a sitting pad for eating, sleeping, reading...and living.

I got rid of the desk chair, then didn't need the desk. Created a desk-of-sorts out of a wired two-shelf caster utility rack. Simple, inexpensive, and modular. Combine this with a lying down desk which I can extend to my TV; flat and lengthening that low back.

It was really hard for me to do it, but I'm ultimately glad I did. I gave my perfectly fine, actually great mattress of a particular brand named after a color to my sister. More on this below.

Cut Out The 90/90

I heard in conversation that apparently, sitting is the new smoking? My observations are far more anecdotal than empirical, but the following has led to a much more dynamic body, through a much greater range of motion.

No Chairs Or Equivalent

I think it's that one day I was lying down in a prison of my own making and asked the question, "What cultures have the healthiest lower back/hips?". I don't think during my cursory inquiry that I found a bam, got it! resource, but I started seeing little things here and there, which gave me hints.

Another bit of background, I started kneeling, or adhering to natural patterns that didn't put adverse pressure on my lower back. This made me think of Eastern cultures. The seiza position, floor mats of India, and Middle Eastern tradition (personal experience with this one) led to a slow matriculation of a couple of advantages given this line of thinking:

• Sitting on the ground would require a much more dynamic body throughout the day:
  • Do you mean I have to exercise my deep squat, or a proper lunge to get into and out from behind my desk? Sign me up.

See, we compartmentalize so much, that the consequence of doing so is gravity towards one thought, "I can comfortably maintain this position for the longest amount of time."

• This becomes the antithesis of the middle ground between comfort, and discomfort for more dynamic posture patterns.

This can become play:

• There are a myriad of various stretches and postures that can be practiced throughout the day.
• Sure, this is slightly less comfortable than a lot of people may be willing to deal with, but if it is uncomfortable for you to maintain a basic stretching posture, then you're a prime candidate for the need. That is unless you like pain, sedentation, and victimhood so that you'll never miss your show, and have plenty of excuses to not be experiential, and individuate. This stings with bitterness, but was served to myself while starting this process to be as honest as possible.

• Matt, I'm Trying to Imagine How You Accomplish This With a Desk Job.
  • I'll be covering how I accomplished this in a follow-up article that questions: What is a desk anyway? I went weird but works on this idea, and would consolidate it here, but want some space to spread out.

Living Room Floor Cushions With Complimentary Coffee Table (which Anyone Can See is a Small, Used Dining Room Table, Cut Off at the Knees (badly I Might Add)) Plus Casters Fastened with Decking Screws

The header says it all. I noticed while I was making the transition, that couches are built to an even cheaper, and less ergonomic standard than most housing. So, I looked east again. How is this being solved elsewhere?

Many people would have an aversion to sitting on their carpet or tile:

• Clean your floors. I'm looking in the mirror on this one
• When looking for sitting pads, just go for the outdoor furniture material.
  • Unless you're sitting bare-assed on these (to each their own), the material doesn't need to be soft and will be more resilient.

The casters make life easy both before, and once you've established your floor sitting position. You'll ask why no one does this for coffee tables...unless you have small children, errant dogs, and drinks on the table; aside from that, you're good to go.

How Much Mattress Do You Really Need?

As a teenager, I figured out I would join the Marine Corps. I was slightly more than the average extreme in this pursuit. I thought that was why I gave my bed to my little sister and slept on the floor, in the closet (simulated ship), or outside in a hammock. She got a bigger bed; I got to be a little less fragile.

It took me about two months in the present to conclude that I didn't and still don't want a typical mattress/bed situation. Did you know that, apparently, the thing is twice its original weight just in your dead skin cells by the time you buy a new one? Again, to each their own.

I had a very nice, well-known brand (think of one named after a color) king-size bed, which, funny enough, my little sister benefited from me getting rid of yet again.

It's not that the mattress was compounding the issues associated with my back pain, but it wasn't making them better either. See, beds are made to cradle your body, regardless of shape. We're all built differently, with or without our imbalances, and your mattress will love all of you equally (or should).

So, thinking about it one day, I concluded two points:

1. Although I spend a third of my day there, it dominated my space for two-thirds of said day.
2. I would be less likely to sleep on my sides, and hopefully, pushing or pulling my shoulders to a more flat plane and allowing the body in general to rest into some resistance so it could find its own equilibrium would be good for it.

I started on the floor, just to give it a try. Whatever your thoughts, I know; someone has said the same thing to me. I typically wake up at 5:30, while an ancillary benefit to sleeping straight on the ground is that I was rearing to get out of bed at 4:30. Your perspective changes if there isn't the soft embrace of a mattress.

Having said that, at 38, when I started with this change, I had no cushion over the sides of my hips. This, combined with the fact that if you cut your sleep successively by an hour each day, it has to come from somewhere. So, I tried for a middle way that still met all my requirements. The mattress I started sleeping on was queen size, about 2-3 inches thick. After a night's sleep, making my bed consisted of a trifold and then once in half. Scoot out of the way, and you're done; tons of floor space for anything you can think of.

It wasn't long before coming across other health topics, either as whispers in the information circles I was matriculating amongst or in organic conversation. We are exposed to a ton of synthetic materials throughout our day, which put off VOCs unless previously off-gassed. You are welcome for yet another thing that will keep you up at night. After looking into it, I realized that although you can't get away from this in our modern society, you can improve the margins; post to follow. Given that it's one-third of my day and this consideration, I chose a wool-stuffed cotton futon mattress. It's about 5 inches thick and made of natural, sustainable materials, which I could wash rather than go through a purchase/landfill cycle. As always, to each their own.

This has been my sweet spot; still getting the benefit, without the, well, the 'pain in the ass,' but you get it.

Habits

To start, this isn't going to be reel after reel of me dominating. The following are activities that I'm concentrating on, sure, but these activities are showing me how much of a thorough noob I am or how imbalanced my approach to my body has been. I'm fine with it; you only grow where your focus is.

Each one of these is consolidated for the most part to the gym alluded to: Austin Bouldering Project. There are several reasons I chose this facility to spend most of my time out of the house:

• Co-working space upstairs:
  • Probably the biggest sell on a place that helps me build these habits into my day.
  • If I'm already there, I have no excuse not to get a class, boulder, or workout in.
• Relatively close to where I live.
• Right next to a grocery store and other errand-related businesses.
• Three minutes to the Greenbelt for a run, especially when it rains.
• Knowledgeable, informative, and personable staff.

Yoga

Yoga speaks for itself. It is rare to have a several thousand-year-old discipline retained for its end purpose at the point of delivery. Things like that are either snuffed out because they are contrary to efficient societal governance or are too weak to promulgate without something else holding it up.

Luckily, a bunch of Yuppies (I'm just joking)—some people who cared more about being self-aware than about what everyone thought about them—brought it to the West. As the West does, we commercialized the ever-living hell out of it, but it seems to be a discipline that retains its essence, and the intent at its core remains.

This article is related to back pain, but Yoga bridges many different functions, not just within the body but also spiritually and mentally.

Mobility Classes

This has been interesting. I had never taken a class solely focused on mobility. Yoga gets pretty close but has more to it, spreading out with equanimity.

These classes based on the Functional Range Conditioning modality consistently deliver dynamic stretching routines that mobilize my spine, making me feel stable but much more dynamic. It's surprising how, when I take these classes as seriously as I can, I finish feeling just as wiped as a decent workout, and sometimes more so. The instructor, Andre Subach is great in his instruction and has on-demand classes here, for those outside the Austin area.

Bouldering

I'll be honest—I'm not very good, which is okay! Get better. This is a great part of the strength work and requires a lot of core work and mobility. I won't be going out into the wild with this, but I appreciate the multi-modal skills required in balance, flexibility, and application of technical strength.

Other Mentions

Lately, I have been saving reels by Squat University:

• The wealth of dynamic training techniques and mobility-related content has helped me be more aware of the bodywork needed if you're going hard.
• The channel is more specific to performance related to power movements. This information is outside of my current line of sight, but the foundational aspects of utilizing power movements are needed with all body movement modalities.
  • It can't hurt to take the advice from the paradigm of the extremes of human capability.
• I also keep an eye on Tom Merrick's Bodyweight Warrior.
• The bodyweight modality is more of what I'm looking for when considering strength applied to longevity; his progression towards the crazy level range of motion helps when paired with strengthening on top of the mobility gains.

The basic gist is that there is a stark contrast between what we have typically seen related to core work and what is effective for a truly robust core structure. Widely available information may have come from grade school, where single-plane movements are taught under ancient foundational knowledge.

Overcoming Gravity

Moving forward in life, I just want to be able to handle my body weight to as high a degree as time, effort/application, and age will allow. If I get even a couple of levels up on the Planche progression, for instance, I won't be in bad shape. To that end, I would recommend Overcoming Gravity by Steven Low. I have never seen a resource like it, and I created a resource in turn for those interested with some light roll-up analytics on progression. Feel free to copy off and use as needed: 202402 bodyweight strength and flexibility

Right now, I'm starting with wall-assisted handstands. Honestly, even the first level has shown me a major gap in my physical capability. My wrists need some serious warming up. A really good resource for this is Tom Merrick - Never Skip Your Wrist Warm Up!

Be Full of Intent

All throughout your day, think of the moments when you just happen to pick up something small off the ground or sweep and mop the floor without bracing your core. I wouldn't call it laziness in your regard, but I will in mine. Each moment can become a catalyst for your body's memorization of either good or bad movement patterns, which will lead to or detract from a healthy lower back.

What's Next?

To be honest, the material I mentioned above has been pushed into within a very short span of time. I could focus on just the above and expanded references for the rest of my life and not scratch the surface. What's next includes much of the above, but it involves looking at life as a dynamic, multi-modal adventure to keep the body in the shape you want and to do the things you want to accomplish.

I waited until serious shifts in mindset, paradigm, and habits were necessary before taking action. I hope these ideas help show that adjustments can and need to happen before something debilitating occurs. Just because your vehicle's block hasn't seized up yet doesn't mean you won't get an oil change. The body is the only tool anyone will have to experience life, and to Outlive common ailments and malfunctions, it should receive attention before this occurs.