I’m POPCORNing!

by

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Disclaimer: I find it unlikely I coined this term for stance-switching, but when I google searched I fell down the rabbit guinea-pig hole reading how the term is used to describe the g-pig’s social (?) behavior. I found no reference to my aching back solution.

My back is KILLING ME.

It has been for 18 months (see? I may practice defensive pessimism but I’m not a complainer!).

I feel fine when I’m moving.

I doesn’t hurt during “normal play” (Ive not trampolined lately for this reason).

Walking The Chairman I rarely notice it—-unless he gets excited and P-U-L-L-S! unexpectedly (then OUCH!).

In fact, I’m fine fine pain-free fine—until I STOP MOVING.

And then?

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I am a right angle again.

  • Climbing out of bed after devouring yet another trashtastic memoir?

My back throbs.

(more aptly put my hamstrings and piriformis, but for the sake of this popcorning post we’ll generalize.)

Initially I assumed it was a result of not getting enough steps in each day.

I focused on increasing that and it helped—-a little.

Next I wondered if it were all a result of my 45 years PLANK-free!! core.

So I planked a little and it helped—a little.

My back still throbbed.

In a fit of desperation I examined my lifestyle.

I sit a lot.

I need to sit a lot.

I *could* edit my writing as I move (perhaps? Ive not tried.) when I’m creating and generating my words I *need* tos sit and be still.

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Walking on a REBEL desk as I edit is my DREAM.

I asked a number of (finger quote) experts (unFQ) what sort of chair would be best for my back if I had to sit for hours at time and every answer was different.

Some insisted a swiss ball chair was the way to go.

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I still use this chair.

Others suggested I perch on a stool so my core was forced to “activate.”

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where the magic happens.

Still others insisted the only thing that would would help me was purchasing or creating a standing desk.

I tried all of these.

My back still throbbed.

And so I gave up.

I resigned myself to having a constant back-owie (technical term) and I stopped rearranging the house and my office in an attempt to lessen the ow.

And then, when I stopped focusing on the best answer, something happened.

My back got a little better. 

I grew cautiously excited and reflected back on what Id shifted to create the change.

The answer? Everything.

  • I stood in the morning as I skimmed the book of the face and chatted with friends.
  • I sat on *any* chair as I wrote and created for a few hours mid-day.
  • I perched on my Swiss Ball chair as I edited my musings.
  • I walked and paced as I voice dictated email responses at night.

I POPCORNED!

And my back felt better.

With hindsight, I realized when I POPPED from seat to seat to standing to walking and back to seated! my muscles never froze (not the technical term) in one position for too long.

Thanks to POPCORNING—even when I simply POPPED from one variety of seat to another— my back felt better!

I’m officially a POP! POP! POP! convert.

Now you.

  • Have you POPCORN’ed! for a while & just not known what to call it?
  • Are you (and your aching back) *in* to give POPCORNING a try?

 

 

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Comments

  2. I am going through the very same thing with the back. And have considered all your “best” solutions. I’ll try popcorning to see if it works for me – thanks for the timely advice.

  6. My method is just not to sit down during the day unless i’m driving or i’m forced to sit (as at church). Unless i lie down to rest and do a crossword puzzle, i’m on my feet, up and moving around all day, never standing in one place too long.

    If that’s popcorning, then it’s a good thing, and i enjoy it!

  8. Very intriguing.
    It makes sense all the chair heights are a good swap/change, but I’d never thought of that.

  13. “Where the magic happens.” LOL
    Was that a reference to Cribs???

    I want a treadmill desk too.

    Let’s try and make one!!

  15. My lower back has been hurting a lot lately. I did notice yesterday that when I was busy putting laundry away that it eased up. Then later when I sat on the couch with the hubby it was no longer hurting. So popcorning must work! I’m going to try to popcorn all day!!!

  18. Mostly now I just REALLY want a bowl of popcorn.

    🙂

    But yeah – this is what I do (and I love the term popcorning for it!). I go back and forth between my seated desk and my standing desk, and I’m walking about frequently throughout the day to grab a reference book, get another glass of water, to do a set of push-ups, to tidy a couple things around the house, etc.

    I find that I have so many more opportunities for popcorning since I started working from home – and I’m so grateful for that, since beyond just the fact that it gets me moving all day long, to me it’s also much more effective and productive for my work life!

  19. yup going to write about using my standing desk soon, but I do think it’s helping all things feel better on me by alternating up and down. took some time mentally to get used to standing and foucsing on work

  20. I think you coined the word and the meaning! If I sit to long on any surface when I get up the first 5 seconds is the old lady straighten up. It happens things could be worse.

  22. Oh very interesting! I’ve had back pain for years now and I never thought about this. It’s lessened the last few months but there are still those days where I’m hit and shocked that I can’t function. Keeping this on my back burner 😉

  27. I like this idea of pop-corning. I need to do it for my own workouts since those aren’t working for me right now. Maybe by doing a little of EVERYTHING I’ll find something that I like again.

  28. I totally popcorn…I usually go from the bar stool…to the standing desk…to the couch, when I am doing work from home. I also find that when I need a mental break, a 30 minute doggie walk always helps too! 🙂

  30. The main reason I don’t like to sleep in is because if I do my back is always killing me that day – I think it’s too much laying around!! I like the up and down and try to do that – I move chairs, too if it’s a day that I’m home and end up sitting a lot.
    Sometimes I think that these changes as a result of aging are rough but then I try to be happy that every year ticks by and I can still do the things I love.

  31. Oh, my back is so stiff after a few hours at my computer — and those hours go by so quickly! I am trying to move any way I can. I will try to pop, pop, pop too!

  32. I feel like I am always popcorning running around after my kids all of the time but when I do stay stationary lately I have been having trouble with my back (more specifically the SI joint). thanks for the suggestion to keep popcorning!

  36. I get backaches when I sit too long too. I popcorn, but mostly the butter, pepper, parm kind and not the hop and popcorn you mention. Perhaps I should try your version as there would be less bloat..

  38. I feel like back pain in almost a normal part of desk jobs, which is awful! I have found that seeing a sports chiro really helps me manage it and being aware of my posture while sitting. I love your idea of moving from place to place, variety is good. 🙂

  39. Carla,
    Sorry to hear about all that pain! Back pain is pretty tricky, and almost universal.

    Here’s a little tip – if you’re standing in line awhile, that can exacerbate it. Try this: stand pigeon-toed. It takes the pressure off your lower back. 🙂

    For someone who wants fairly comprehensive ideas, Esther Gokhale’s book 8 Steps to a Pain-Free back is most cool. For something simpler, and quick to implement, Multifidus Back Pain Solution my Jim Johnson is worth checking out.

    Cheers, Tabby

  40. Yoga helped so much. I sit because I have no choice. My job demands it – really can’t stand or walk around. And I started running again cuz it makes my brain feel better.

  41. Chasing preschoolers around all day I go from sitting in small chairs, to on the floor, up again to a chair, to running around with them on the playground. When I do have to write reports I am up and down in between and walk to another printer a quarter mile away to gather my reports. Yoga, especially back-end (Urdhva Dhanurasana) has kept me supple and strong for 61 years….good luck with your healing!

  42. Hi 🙂
    Did i heard back pain, back pain..
    Well, perhaps you know already the answer for sure.
    It is the practice of Yoga on a daily basis or 3 times a week that will allow your body to feel better.
    Also meditation will bring a very great aspect with your Yoga.
    You can try a gentle morning session and also a very gentle evening session.

    Fresh air in a forest, laugh and eat healthy are your friends to find the perfect mind to overcome your back pain.

    Focusing on solution is the best therapy you can do.
    All the best 🙂
    Peace to all.

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