Patrick, I have also avoided 'exercise' my whole life, and haven't set foot in a gym since my college days more than 45 years ago. I don't do much besides bicycling, walking (often hiking, sometimes jogging), and building construction. My main back problems were before retirement, working 9-10 hours per day mostly seated at a desk, even though I often commuted to work by bicycle and thought I was in decent shape. So for me, the more sedentary I was, the worse my back felt. Post retirement, I started doing small construction jobs for myself and others, and haven't had a single back issue, in spite of (or maybe because of) the moderately strenuous work. If you have the inclination, a construction project, like a deck or maybe a garden shed, might help keep your back healthy like it does mine. It's also challenging and satisfying to build your own things.
As to backpacks, the cheap ones hug your back and don't have much padding, so hard boxes and bottles can poke into your back. Maybe that can be tolerated for a short walk home from the store. The nice packs (probably overkill for your use) have a semi-rigid frame that holds the pack away from your back, so you don't get poked by hard objects and also your back doesn't sweat. I have a bit of a pack fetish and my favorites are the Osprey Stratos series (comes in several sizes), which are neither cheap nor lightweight, but are extremely comfortable with heavier loads. Jack - Seattle On Tuesday, November 17, 2020 at 2:30:44 PM UTC-8 Patrick Moore wrote: > I forgot to mention that bike fit is not the cause of the problem. The > stem on the new-to-me Monocog is about 2-3 cm too far forward, but even > that bike isn't too bad. > > On Tue, Nov 17, 2020 at 3:18 PM Patrick Moore <bert...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> Thanks for all the replies. Much to enlighten and of interest. >> >> To be clear, my back has been largely trouble free, thank God, and it's >> in the last 2 weeks or so that it's twinging. >> >> I know I should buckle down and do some exercises to strengthen my core >> (well, pushups do that, but also my shoulders and arms, as well as do more >> for my torso muscles; must get back to shovelglove) but if walking can help >> sufficiently, I'd rather walk; whence my question about walking and core >> muscle tone, or more basically, walking and back health. >> >> As someone else pointed out, it's probably not the best therapy to carry >> heavy loads on your back, so let's leave that out. (And my Naches Passes, >> now tubeless -- sealants don't work in tubes at low pressures -- were ready >> 5 days early, and are back on the errand bike, so I have a grocery carrier. >> >> As to shovelglove, it's far more tolerable than many other regimens; in >> fact, I've reduced even shovelglove to a minimum-minimum, focusing more on >> shoulders and arms than torso and using 2 12-lb hammers with handles cut to >> 12"; I use them one in each hand -- *when* I use them. >> >> Meanwhile, I also ought to sit more on the floor, both X-legged and with >> legs stretched out straight. >> >> Back to walking: If anyone has more information about walking and back >> health, please post it. >> >> Thanks. >> >> On Mon, Nov 16, 2020 at 10:55 AM Patrick Moore <bert...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> I should be doing more of other sorts of exercise besides cycling >>> anyway, but what brings this to mind is that my lower back -- center, just >>> above hips -- has been moderately painful off and on for the last 7-10 >>> days; I think that the cause or occasion was insufficient muscle tone while >>> spending too much time all at once bent over working on the Monocog and >>> other things; this exacerbated by bending over too forcefully a couple of >>> times afterward to reach things on the ground (dog shit, if you must know). >>> It's not more than mild, and for a long time I've been stiff down there >>> after sitting (I do try to sit straight) or bending, and it has been worse >>> in the past; generally my back is fine, thank God; but I'd like to nip it >>> in the bud. >>> >>> Besides cycling, I do pushups, but that aside, I despise "exercise." >>> I've heard, read, and felt when I do it that simple walking is a good >>> all-over exercise and that, in particular, it strengthens your core -- of >>> course, it will do this only moderately but moderately is all I want. >>> >>> Can anyone comment on walking for general health and, in particular, to >>> keep your core in basic tone? I have noticed that, when I walk more, my >>> trunk and legs feel less "tight." >>> >>> Once again, I am not likely to do stretching or any methodical program >>> of exercise, so advice in regimens is likely wasted effort. (That's why God >>> invented bikes, fer heaven's sake!! To make "exercise" -- and "saving the >>> planet" -- fun.) >>> >>> If anyone has general useful information on lower back pain, I'll be >>> grateful to hear it. >>> >>> Next question: Can anyone recommend an inexpensive large backpack for >>> grocery runs? It should hold, and hold with reasonable comfort to the >>> wearer, at least a full paper grocery sack's worth of groceries, including >>> the weight of cans and bottles. Longest distance loaded will be 1 mile -- I >>> have 1 grocery store 1/4 mile away, another 7/10 mile away, even though I >>> live in a bosque enclave. >>> >>> I just walked to and from the further one -- Sprout's -- and carried >>> home 36 lb of groceries, 29 lb in a very large Timbuktu courier bag; not >>> the best method. Carrying 36 lb of groceries on a bike is a lot easier! But >>> the wheels of my grocery bike are waiting at the bike shop for the rim tape >>> needed to make the Naches Pass tires tubeless. >>> >>> Patrick "18.53 minutes per mile outbound empty, 23.04 minutes per mile >>> return under load" Moore >>> >>> -- >>> >>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> Patrick Moore >>> Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum >>> >>> >> >> -- >> >> ----------------------------------------------------------------------- >> Patrick Moore >> Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum >> >> > > -- > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > Patrick Moore > Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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