Fitness with Strength Training
How One Mom Beat Chronic Back Pain with Strength Training
By: Dylan Casey, owner of CASE Personal Training
Have you ever had such bad back pain that you could barely get out of bed? If so, you probably know how hopeless and scared it made you feel. Crippling back pain can totally interrupt your ability to work, be there for you family, and enjoy the moments in your life that should otherwise be fun.
It’s the last thing anyone should want to deal with when they wake up in the morning.
This is exactly what McLean was dealing with. As an in-shape 47-year-old mother and attorney, she felt completely blind-sided when she had multiple severe episodes of low back flare-ups. From simple things like sitting on a long plane ride or moving boxes around her house, she could become bed-ridden for days in agony, wondering how and why this kept happening.
Click here for your complimentary 21-day strength training experience
We tend to take our health for granted. However, when we get sick or hurt, we would do just about anything to feel like ourselves again. When your back is in excruciating pain, you cannot “show up” for your kids, spouse, or job like you want to. That pain is all you can fixate on.
But why did these back flare-ups keep happening for McLean? She avidly walked, ran, and ate healthily. She thought that was checking the health and fitness box. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough.
The problem for McLean was that she lacked strength in her back. Although she appeared to be healthy, and lived an active lifestyle, her body was not as strong and resilient as it needed to be to protect her spine. She needed a coach to build a strength training program designed for her body, age, and injury history.
McLean didn’t even realize that her muscle tone and strength had steadily been dropping over time. But this was directly tied to her injuries and long-term health.
She learned that being strong is about protecting the life she wanted to live. Strength training is no longer a luxury – it is essential. Especially as the body starts to slow down after 40. Strength training is the path to rebuilding movement, health, and a pain free life.
For McLean, we prioritized full-body movements that strengthened her core and lower back. The main movements that alleviated her back pain were Romanian deadlifts and planks.
After 6 months of consistently training twice a week with us, McLean’s back pain got night and day better. While her low back still flares up from time to time, her body is stronger and more resilient, and the flare-ups don’t completely sideline her for days like in the past.
Besides being more productive at work and able to be fully present for her kids (since she is no longer facing bouts of severe pain), McLean was able to recently travel to Spain with her daughters and had an amazing time.
While the idea of sitting on a plane for 10 hours, walking 20,000 steps a day exploring new cities, and hauling her three daughters’ suitcases around could have left McLean on edge about whether her body could keep up with those demands, she didn’t have to worry.
With her newfound strength, McLean can spend less time in pain and worrying about being a burden, and more time doing the things that she loves, like traveling, with her family.
Strength didn’t just give McLean a stronger back. It gave her a fuller life.
What if McLean’s story became yours?
She didn’t have to become an expert in exercise science and knowing what to do. She just had to take the first step in reaching out for help.
Maybe your low back is constantly in pain too. Maybe you’ve been gaining weight since COVID and are scared that you’ll never lose it. Or you worry about becoming weak and frail and being a burden on your family.
Regardless of what you’re struggling with, getting professional help could be your breakthrough like it was for McLean.
At CASE Personal Training, every member begins with a conversation – not a workout. We learn about your goals, health history, and injuries, and make a custom training program for you.
If McLean’s story resonated with you, and you’d like to write your own, we’d like to invite you to experience CASE Personal Training completely free for three weeks.
As a 78209 reader, your complimentary experience includes:
- An assessment and goal-setting session with a trainer
- A personalized strength training program
- Three weeks of coach-led Small Group Personal Training
Ready to write your own success story?
Click here for your complimentary 21-day strength training experience
(Offer expires August 31)
CASE Personal Training
(847) 804-4632
2250 Chipley Cir unit 2, San Antonio, TX 78217
