Dealing with a SHIT back

Sensitive. Highly imbalanced. Incredibly weak. Tight.

This X-ray was taken in September 2021. It was my second serious back flare-up in just six months. The kind of pain that floors you — literally. I was lying flat on my back for a week, barely able to move.

It happened again in 2023.

To be honest, it’s something I’ve been a bit embarrassed about. I was supposed to be fit. Young-ish. Strong. I’d been diligent with my training. Careful, even. So how did I end up with a back that could knock me out of action like that? I must’ve missed something. Or done something wrong. That’s the little voice that creeps in sometimes.

It’s part of why I haven’t talked about it much.

But recently I came across a description that made a lot of sense — and also hit a little too close to home. SHIT back: Sensitive, Highly imbalanced, Incredibly weak, Tight. That’s… exactly it. That’s my back in six brutally honest words.

And the reality is, it’s changed a lot about how I train. Some exercises have had to go on pause—sometimes for months.

I often find myself quietly opting out of group workouts because I’m not sure if something in the session might set it off again. And when it flares, it’s not subtle. It’s all-consuming.

When I saw a physio after the first episode, I asked what I could do to make sure it never happened again. I wanted a solution. A clear path forward. But his response stuck with me. He told me it might just be something I’d have to manage from now on.

At the time, I hated hearing that. I was determined to fix it. Still am.

But over time, I’ve shifted how I think about it. This is the back I’ve got — and I need to do the best I possibly can with it. I’ve tested different approaches. Some worked. Some didn’t. But, fingers crossed, I’ve found a way to avoid the big flare-ups for now. It’s far from a perfect science, but it’s progress.

And that progress has given me something I didn’t expect: perspective.

Our bodies are incredibly complex. You can do everything “right” and still get hurt. You can follow the program, tick all the boxes, and still get sidelined. But that doesn’t mean you give up. It means you listen more carefully. You get curious. You slow down when you need to. And above all, you keep going.

I’m still at the beginning of a long road with this. But I’ve learned a lot already, and I’ll keep sharing as I go. If you're someone who's dealing with your own version of this — chronic pain, unpredictable injuries, setbacks that shake your confidence — just know you're not alone. And you don’t have to stop moving.

There are things you can do. You just might have to do them differently.

Don’t give up on exercise. Go slow. Get help if you need it. And be kind to the body you’ve got — even if it’s a SHIT back. Especially then.

❤️