Exercising With Chronic Pain

I am rated at a 75% disability rating and suffer from chronic pain but I exercise every day including lifting weights four days per week.  I started lifting weights again a year after my back surgery which I had in 2003.  At the time I could not walk more than just a few feet without going into spasm.  The pain was beyond belief.  But even the strong narcotic drugs that I had been prescribe were not proving any relief.  So I decided to take action.  At the time I could not walk up or down stairs and my home gym machine was in my basement.  But I have a walk in basement so I would walk through knee deep snow enduring painful spasms to get down to the gym room.  I would do a one hour full body workout using a universal home gym machine.  After I would train I would sit in a chair with the stim machine on my back.  After several months my condition improved.  I began reading books on bodybuilding and conditioning.  After training for about 5 years I studied to be a personal fitness trainer.  I completed the program and got my ISSA certification.  The secret to training with pain is to do a daily assessment of how you feel.  If you are in a great deal of pain ease into your exercise even slower than you would normally do.  Be sure to perform a warm up that is enough to raise your core temperature.  Usually a four minute brisk walk on the treadmill or on an exercise bike will due.  You don't want to wear yourself out just warm up.  Always do a little move around session, bend, reach, and rotate your arms, trunk and legs.  I like to have people do twenty of a given move.  Than when you start lifting start out by doing your first set at about 25% of the maximum that you can lift one time and do it for ten reps.  Than do 50% of your max for ten reps.  Once you are ready to do your work sets use a weight that you can lift for 8-12 reps but no more.  Once you reach the point were you can no longer do another rep in good form stop.  Rest 2-3 minutes and do it again for a total of 3-4 sets.  Once you can do 13 reps increase the weight but never by more than you can lift for 8 reps.  You want to have an exercise for your quadriceps, hamstrings, chest, shoulders, upper back, lower back, biceps, triceps and abdominal muscles.  I like to start new trainees out on resistance bands.  They are much easier on your joints and connective tissue than free weights.  They are also easy to store and don't require a great deal of space to use.  After about 2 months I begin to switch many exercises over to free weights.  Free weights are a more natural type of training than a resistance band.  But some people like to stay with resistance bands which is fine also.  The trick is to feel out what you like and what feels best to you.  If you are in a great deal of pain try taking some time off but not too long.  I often find that exercising light is better than taking time off.  Also remember there are a lot of exercises.  If something hurts try something else.  You have to keep working to find a fit for you.  Good luck and good training.