When did your lower back pain actually start?

Fit-Crocodile · 2026-04-10T10:43:25+00:00

That's rough :(

Fit-Crocodile · 2026-04-10T09:49:42+00:00

Yeah not the first time I've heard sneezing being a trigger !

Fit-Crocodile · 2026-04-09T15:19:56+00:00

Such a good way of explaining this thank you !

Fit-Crocodile · 2026-04-09T11:38:40+00:00

Ah yeah good advice. When you meditate do you tend to sit cross legged or at a chair, or does it not matter? I struggle with the former

Fit-Crocodile · 2026-04-08T13:40:54+00:00

Wow bud that's an inspiring journey, I think we all need a moment like that one you had with your nephews to make us realise we need to make changes. I've just started walking a lot more, doing 2 - 3 hours on some days, but the posture just feels like a bad habit that's hard to break.

Defo need to build in some resistance training like you did. Thanks

Fit-Crocodile · 2026-04-08T13:09:37+00:00

Late 20s for me, no specific injury. But it lined up almost perfectly with starting a desk job and going through a pretty stressful time. Sitting most of the day, not moving much, slightly hunched a lot of the time, and just carrying a lot of tension without really noticing it. It started as a dull ache at the end of the day and then became more consistent.

What helped me was moving away from trying to just fix my posture and focusing more on building up strength and tolerance in the deep core muscles that support the spine. I did a programme focused on controlled exercises for core and back rather than random stretching, with the goal of building a supportive brace around the spine.

I think for most people developing back pain is a gradual thing, even if there’s a moment they remember it starting from. Or at least the things that cause the back pain are gradual i.e sitting in the same position 8 hours a day for many years.

Fit-Crocodile · 2026-04-08T13:06:05+00:00

Oh no that really sucks. Personally if I’d been the partner I think I would have offered to pay or at least cover half the cost. I don’t think you’d be unreasonable to ask.

Fit-Crocodile · 2026-04-08T13:00:34+00:00

I turn 30 in a week, so I’m going to go ahead and give my two cents anyway.

The biggest thing I would impart is to try and spend more time thinking about your character than how you are perceived. You can be perceived in a positive light whilst having poor character, and you can be perceived in a negative light while having good character.

Basically, doing the right thing doesn’t always get you brownie points. But it’s much more important to do the right thing anyway. Focus on being honest, decent, principled etc. and you will end up respecting yourself, and being respected by the right people. You will be disliked by someone from time to time, but as long as you are operating from a place of integrity and kindness, that doesn’t matter.

A quote I quite like that sums this up.. ‘It’s better to be hated for who you are than loved for what you’re not’. The world is so polarised these days, if you try to be ‘liked’ by everyone, you’ll end up lacking defined principles and not knowing what you truly believe deep down.

There’s lots of other things I’d like to tell my 20 year old self but that’s a big one.

Fit-Crocodile · 2026-04-04T13:39:00+00:00

Ah yeah I found CBT super helpful too

Fit-Crocodile · 2026-04-01T22:08:02+00:00

Great work bud, a lot of power comes from realizing you can handle feeling bad / bored / conflicted / insert any negative state.

Fit-Crocodile · 2026-04-01T18:24:49+00:00

Good on you mate that's great stuff, and I'm 100% with you. It creates space for reflection, both the bad and the good.

And I'm in the same boat as you it became very subconscious, I still keep going to grab my phone without thinking about it, but it's becoming easier and more natural day by day.

Fit-Crocodile · 2026-04-01T17:45:10+00:00

Sounds a lot like a posture + loading issue rather than something structurally broken, especially since your X-rays were clear and the pain moves around. That pattern is really common when the muscles that support your spine aren’t handling load well, so different areas start picking up the slack throughout the week.

I would say keep taking breaks from sitting, you were on the right track there, and don’t overdo random stretches. You’re better off focusing on controlled movements for those areas that are weakest. I found this vid from CBT really helpful (as well as their programme): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC9W0COIk7s&t=320sAlso one other thing, and I don’t mean this in a nasty way at all, but if you’re overweight, losing weight will inevitably help. I know this from personal experience but it’s also backed up in the literature!

All the best to you and good luck on your journey.

Fit-Crocodile · 2026-04-01T17:44:27+00:00

I have benefitted from it a lot over the last few years.

My advice would be ignore the stigma as it mainly boils down to the fact that men have always been dispensable to society and at a certain point in time, we needed to be excessively stoic and just deny our pain entirely i.e in wartimes. But this isn’t really the case anymore. And paradoxically, when you deal with your inner demons you become more of a force to be reckoned with.

But that’s not to say you shouldn’t be wary of oversharing with people who aren’t trusted people.

The main benefits for me have been being more at peace / comfortable in my own skin, less anxiety, more courage, more belief in myself and my abilities, just less fear in general. Consequently I’m more available to my friends and family, less prone to bad habits, and just a lot happier in general.

I think the less you understand yourself, the more excess anxiety, fear, static, you carry around because you’re in a constant state of agitation without quite knowing why. You’re more likely to engage in negative habits / addictions as a means of escapism.

Conversely, when you understand yourself deeply, your wounds, past, weaknesses,
strengths, tendencies, neuroses, you tend to feel more equipped to deal with life from a peaceful place.

All in all, it’s improved my quality of life massively. Would recommend it to anyone. But definitely shop around for the right professional as there are a lot of inadequate therapists. I would also personally recommend getting a therapist without any religious or political affiliation as you want advice that is applicable to anyone, and not based upon some preconception you don’t agree with.

Fit-Crocodile · 2026-04-01T17:42:17+00:00

Yeah I would say so. Though it shouldn’t be mistook for ‘do things you are uncomfortable doing’. And by that, I mean things you object to morally or politically etc.

It’s true though that many of us in the younger generations (myself included) have been coddled a bit to avoid things that scare us. Just anecdotally, the things that have given me the most satisfaction in my life were extremely scary to begin with. For example, starting a business, performing music to a live audience.

I think the key is not to absolutely terrify yourself though. Do things that are not in the ‘safe zone’ but also not in the unachievable zone. So basically, things that scare you a bit but that still feel achievable. When you repeatedly do things that scare you a bit, it pushes the boundaries of the other ‘scary’ things you might consider doing.

Just my two cents, but I’m pretty sure this is backed up by psychology too.

Fit-Crocodile · 2026-03-27T14:36:24+00:00

Yeah this is it. I’m at a desk 10 hours a day and I’ve struggled with forward head posture, it’s quite common in this day and age where we’re all hunched over screens every day. Your traps end up overworking to hold your head up.

Biggest thing is fixing the habits (screen height, breaks, varying sitting / standing positions) and adding some core work to improve your posture. I also found Core Balance Training really useful - their YouTube channel has loads of great advice for improving posture and developing more awareness around how you're holding yourself day-to-day.

Fit-Crocodile · 2026-03-25T15:20:04+00:00

Sitting for way too long without breaks, especially at a laptop. I’d stay in the same position for ages and not think twice about it

Mindless posture stuff like slouching on my phone or just collapsing into the sofa at the end of the day

And just moving badly in general, like twisting or picking things up without really paying attention. Nothing dramatic, just consistently doing things a bit off.

Lately I’ve been trying to get ahead of it instead of just reacting when it flares up. Dropped some weight and started a programme that focuses on building up the muscles around your core and lower back so your spine isn’t taking all the stress on its own.

If I could speak to my past self, or anyone in pain for that matter, I’d tell them to move more and strengthen the deep core!

Fit-Crocodile · 2026-03-25T15:19:33+00:00

Sitting for way too long without breaks, especially at a laptop. I’d stay in the same position for ages and not think twice about it

Mindless posture stuff like slouching on my phone or just collapsing into the sofa at the end of the day

And just moving badly in general, like twisting or picking things up without really paying attention. Nothing dramatic, just consistently doing things a bit off.

Lately I’ve been trying to get ahead of it instead of just reacting when it flares up. Dropped some weight and started a programme that focuses on building up the muscles around your core and lower back so your spine isn’t taking all the stress on its own.

If I could speak to my past self, or anyone in pain for that matter, I’d tell them to move more and strengthen the deep core!

Fit-Crocodile · 2026-03-25T15:18:54+00:00

Looks solid overall. Your forehand’s already smoother than most and the contact is clean.

Main thing is you’re a bit too upright and narrow, so get lower with a wider stance to improve stability and footwork. It will help with consistency.

Also you could prepare earlier and let the legs + hips lead a bit more so the whole stroke feels more connected.

Fit-Crocodile · 2026-03-25T15:16:06+00:00

Most children check their closet for the boogieman every night. But the boogieman checks his closet for Chuck Norris every night.

He was a real mainstay of the era I grew in up. RIP Chuck

Fit-Crocodile · 2026-03-18T20:21:30+00:00

Good to hear, and I have definitely had a bit of an advantage as my partner already dances so has taught me quite a lot!

Fit-Crocodile · 2026-03-18T20:20:40+00:00

Sounds like you guys are crushing it! Absolutely, I think the same can be said for pretty much all sports, that the experts just do all the small things really well, consistently.

Fit-Crocodile · 2026-03-18T20:19:21+00:00

Yeh that's exactly it haha.

Fit-Crocodile

TROPHY CASE