55. What An Injury Taught Me In Mid-Life
“As you get older, listening to your body becomes more and more important.”
As we age, we’re often reminded to stay active. And yet, aging also makes us more vulnerable to injuries that can unexpectedly disrupt that effort.
Last October, Tina injured her back while traveling. At first, it didn’t seem like a big deal. She had experienced minor back pain before, and it usually resolved with rest. This time was different.
What started as a small issue turned into weeks, then months, of persistent pain. Activities she loved—running and strength training—became too painful to continue. She began to wonder if that chapter of her life was behind her.
By January, she decided it was time to seek help and began working with a chiropractor. What followed was a slow and often frustrating road to recovery. After three and a half months of consistent work, she is now—very gradually—easing back into her routine.
She’s not fully recovered. But she feels hopeful again.
More importantly, the experience changed how she thinks about her body, her workouts, and the aging process itself.
In today’s episode, Tina shares her recovery journey and the lessons she’s taking with her:
• The importance of seeking care sooner rather than later
• Following professional guidance, even when progress feels slow
• Resisting the urge to self-diagnose through the internet
• Staying flexible in how you approach movement during recovery
• Listening to your body—really listening
• Recognizing that recovery often takes longer as we age
• Prioritizing stretching and dynamic warm-ups
• Accepting that your body may not be as resilient as it once was—and learning to work with it, not against it
Sometimes the hardest part of staying active isn’t pushing forward—it’s learning when to slow down.
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[00:21] Christina Donovan: Welcome to Messy Middlescence.
[00:23] This is a podcast where we talk honestly about the changes. Just challenges, connections, and gifts that come with midlife.
[00:31] Nothing too polished, just real conversations that remind us we're not alone.
[00:36] So let's dive in.
[00:39] This is Christina or Tina Conti Donovan, and I'm here with my sister, Tara Conti Bansal.
[00:45] Today on Messy Middlese,
[00:48] I wanted to discuss my recent experience dealing with a back injury.
[00:56] For those of you who know me or who listen to the podcast,
[01:02] I am an active person.
[01:04] I run, I strength train, I bike, I hike, I walk.
[01:09] All of these things are regular parts of my week and of my fitness routine.
[01:15] Last August, I completed a triathlon,
[01:18] and I've been very fortunate. I've never really had a serious injury before.
[01:24] I did sprain an ankle, I will add, about four years ago, but just it recovered on its own with. With rest.
[01:33] And then this past October, I hurt my back. It was a very sudden thing. I was in the airport going down the escalator to baggage, and we saw our parking shuttle in the distance at the door, and we've didn't want to miss it, and we.
[01:53] It was just a very sudden movement. And between that and the weight of my bag, I don't something in my back. Just as soon as I did it, I knew I had hurt my back.
[02:02] And at the time, I didn't really think anything of it. I've had back pain before. I've had muscle strains and soreness, and they kind of always just went away on its own.
[02:12] And this.
[02:13] I rested it for long periods, and then I tried to go back to normal fitness routines that I have. And I mean, I just couldn't.
[02:23] I tried everything. I changed the intensity of what I was doing. And after about three months, I finally went to see a chiropractor.
[02:32] And that began a really long road for me of recovery to get back to running and strength training and the activities that I just love and that I didn't want to lose.
[02:48] I think as we age,
[02:50] we're told how important it is to stay active and how important it is to stay fit,
[02:57] but the one thing that can really prevent you from doing that is an injury.
[03:04] And I just thought today it might be helpful to discuss what I experienced and learned.
[03:15] I'm not a medical profession, and nothing I say here today should be construed as medical advice.
[03:22] And I know that every physical body,
[03:25] every injury, and every person is different and unique. But I do think some of the things that I learned and that I experienced might be helpful for other People either undergoing something right now or maybe in the future,
[03:41] because there's no doubt about it, as we age, we're more susceptible to injury.
[03:47] Tara Bansal: And I feel like recovery takes so much longer too. Is the other.
[03:54] I mean, Tina, when it happened,
[03:58] some of my back injuries, like, I couldn't.
[04:01] The pain was excruciating and I could hardly, like,
[04:05] do anything. Like,
[04:07] it hurt to sit, it hurt to lay, it hurt to walk.
[04:10] Christina Donovan: Yeah.
[04:10] Tara Bansal: Is that how yours was?
[04:12] Christina Donovan: Initially it was bad,
[04:14] but then it kind of moved into a very specific part of my back and it was very specific movements that gave me pain,
[04:24] which in a way is good. I mean, you know, I could sit,
[04:28] I could walk,
[04:30] I could do a lot of my daily routines,
[04:34] but I could not run, I could not do any type of weights,
[04:40] I could not stand for extended periods of time.
[04:44] So it was things like that that.
[04:47] So I was very lucky in that respect.
[04:49] My first piece of advice is see your healthcare provider. And it seems like a really common sense thing,
[04:58] but it took me three months before I went to see somebody. And I think that you just assume that regular rest and healing, that it will heal itself. And I think when you're young,
[05:13] I think that is often the case.
[05:15] But I mean, my chiropractor scolded me. He was like, you should have come in two to three weeks. Like, if it did not go away on its own, he was like, you should never have waited three months.
[05:27] And of course, what I was doing was basically re. Injuring it. Every time you tried to do something, I tried to get back into my routines. And I do think people don't realize how long it takes to.
[05:42] To recover and to heal. And as you age, I think everything just takes longer.
[05:48] Tara Bansal: And I have to jump in here that I feel like as a family and I don't know how much of it is being one of seven kids or whatever it is,
[06:02] the body does heal itself. And so we come from a family that does not rushed to the doctor. I mean, Nimit's family,
[06:12] he has doctors for two parents. And they go. They went to the doctor a lot quicker and a lot more often than I feel like we do.
[06:21] Christina Donovan: So.
[06:22] Tara Bansal: But three months does sound like a long time, Tina, to be, you know, and to keep waiting.
[06:31] Christina Donovan: And that's the thing too. I mean, for me, it was a back injury. It was pretty obvious to just go to a chiropractor.
[06:38] And I would say that if you're not sure, start with your GP and see who they recommend, whether it's an orthopedist or A podiatrist or my second thing would be to follow the instructions that you're given.
[06:53] And again, this seems so,
[06:55] like, common sense. Why wouldn't you do that? But I know for me, I mean, the first thing they did was give me a series of stretches and exercises.
[07:06] And I mean, for the first month, I really felt like they were just a waste of time and they were time consuming. It took 45 minutes for me from start to finish if I did everything that they prescribed.
[07:22] But I think in the long run, they were really important. Like, I think the fact that I did keep at them was an important part of my recovery.
[07:33] And one of the things for me is when I would go back to my chiropractor, I could tell him, when I'm doing this exercise, I am feeling this here,
[07:44] or,
[07:45] you know, this is doing. You know, I don't feel like I'm. I have enough resistance when I'm doing this, or this feels like nothing. And I mean, he worked with me to,
[07:56] I guess, help pinpoint the exercises that were doing the most for me. And also, I think it reaffirmed my diagnosis. It helped us know that this was definitely what my problem was.
[08:11] And I think, like, if you're working with a physical therapist, it's that same idea. Like, give them feedback on what they give you. And I think that that's an important piece.
[08:23] Tara Bansal: How often were you going back to the chiropractor?
[08:26] Christina Donovan: I was going once a week and
[08:29] Tara Bansal: doing those stretches every single day. Is that what they.
[08:32] Christina Donovan: I was doing them about six days a week. Like, usually there was a day on the weekend that I wouldn't do them, but, yeah, I was doing them. I was fanatical about it, partly because I couldn't do anything else, so.
[08:45] And for me, I mean, I think that's what makes it difficult, is if you work. I. I don't know, like, for the amount of time that it took to do them and how little I felt like they were helping.
[08:58] I can see where it's very easy to just say,
[09:02] this isn't doing anything for me. Yeah. But I think it takes. Again, it goes back to this idea of it takes longer than you think for some of these things to really help.
[09:14] Tara Bansal: Chiropractors say that, like, just keep doing the stretches, even even though you said, I don't feel like it's doing anything. Yeah.
[09:22] Christina Donovan: Yeah.
[09:24] The other thing that I would add is, I mean, when I got home after my initial diagnosis, of course I googled it, and as a result, I got.
[09:34] I still get, like, every Day on social media, I get posts about my specific back injury and the things to do to make it better.
[09:47] And, you know, sometimes they're videos, sometimes they're, you know, like pictures. But I have never in any of those. I mean, I bet I've gotten hundreds of these posts. I've never seen any of the exercises that my chiropractor has given me and that I am continuing to do.
[10:06] Um, so I guess that would be my other piece of advice is listen to your healthcare provider.
[10:14] Don't.
[10:15] Don't use social media or chat, GPT or AI, whatever, to,
[10:21] to try to change or help or heal what you're, you know,
[10:27] if.
[10:28] Tara Bansal: And that's tempting, I feel like, because you just keep seeing it and they
[10:33] Christina Donovan: do such a good sales, it.
[10:35] There would be a picture of a body.
[10:37] Can you not run because of this pain? And it would be like in red. Like, it was exactly what I was expecting. Experience. I'm not questioning that. But so, yeah, and I mean, if you get really frustrated that the exercises that you're doing or the, or the things that they've prescribed for you aren't helping,
[10:55] I mean, talk to your healthcare provider and if you don't like the answers that they're giving you, get a second opinion or go somewhere else. I mean, I really think that that's important versus using the Internet as guidance or
[11:14] Tara Bansal: it's where there's so much information out there and you don't know. Yeah, right. Or what's right for you, I think is the key there.
[11:23] Christina Donovan: For some of the exercises that I was given, I mean, I would look on because I got a piece of paper with them. I mean, I would go on YouTube and type in and then, I mean, you can watch a video of the.
[11:35] A video of somebody doing it. But I never, ever received on social media information about the exercises that he particularly gave me.
[11:46] We've already talked about this, but patience is such. It's such an important part.
[11:52] The first time I saw my chiropractor, he told me he thought four to six weeks I would be back,
[12:00] starting to be able to run again.
[12:03] And I would say it was about 12 weeks.
[12:08] Tara Bansal: Oh, wow.
[12:09] Christina Donovan: Before I did my first walk run.
[12:12] Tara Bansal: And did he or do you know why it was so much longer than what he told you?
[12:19] Christina Donovan: I think part of it is age, part of it is everybody is different.
[12:24] Tara Bansal: But
[12:26] Christina Donovan: I mean, it just, it took way longer than he expected than I expected. And I was doing exactly what he prescribed. And there were points where I was just saying, I don't think I'll ever run again.
[12:40] I mean, I really started to believe that.
[12:45] And then all of a sudden I would have these little bits of progress and that's really what you have to look for. And once I think you start to see those,
[12:56] it's kind of like you turn the corner. Yeah.
[12:59] I don't know. You can't dictate how long it takes to recover from something.
[13:04] I mean, even when my chiropractor told me, I mean, I think he even. He didn't know. I mean, that was what he was trying to get. Predicting another piece. I think that is really important is to try to stay active while you have your injury.
[13:24] And this can be hard. I mean, I think it depends on exactly what your injury is. And I would not.
[13:29] I think you have to work with your healthcare provider to see what you are able to do.
[13:36] Any kind of movement is movement and it's good.
[13:40] I was lucky because I was able to walk.
[13:44] And so that became something that I could do a couple times a week.
[13:52] Tara Bansal: What comes to mind for me with that is like, yeah, do what you can. Like if it is chair yoga or if it is, you know, like.
[14:02] Christina Donovan: Right.
[14:03] Tara Bansal: I don't know. To your point, like, try to find anything because it almost is this like slippery slope of the less active you are, the harder more injuries happen or the harder it is.
[14:18] Christina Donovan: Right. And the harder it is to get back to where you are. Yeah.
[14:22] And again, I think it is important whether you're working with a physical therapist or an orthopedist. Like, you need to talk to them. And again, make sure that you clear any alternate forms of activity.
[14:37] But I think you have to start being just more flexible about what maybe you can't do exactly what you were doing.
[14:46] And that's okay. You know,
[14:50] try and see what you can do.
[14:54] And related to that, I mean, I think a key piece of this is just paying attention to your body and. And not maybe everybody is like this, but I mean, I had my routine and it was like it didn't really matter how I felt.
[15:10] Like,
[15:11] you did. I ran,
[15:12] I did. Like, I just. I did my stuff. And now I am just more. If I feel sore, if I start feeling pain in that area, like I take a day, I mean, I just.
[15:24] Or I do an alternate form of activity. I won't run, I'll walk, or I'll just do stretches.
[15:31] And I think as you get older, listening to your body is just. It becomes more and more important.
[15:40] Tara Bansal: Yeah, I agree with that. I mean, I think. I don't know, even as younger, we
[15:45] Christina Donovan: should listen to our bodies.
[15:47] Tara Bansal: Listen to our bodies too. But the body is more forgiving then,
[15:53] so it just almost becomes.
[15:56] That's why it's more important because we see the effects, I guess, as you age. But in an ideal world, I think all of us would listen to our bodies more because they really can tell you information that isn't logical or isn't, you know, found elsewhere.
[16:17] So that is true.
[16:19] Christina Donovan: I guess the other thing for me or that I would recommend is the things that you do during the day,
[16:27] not exercise or fitness related, that can affect your injury.
[16:33] So for me,
[16:34] I was saying standing for excessively long periods of time can really exasperate my,
[16:41] my back injury. Wearing heels, I have found is something that I have to be careful of. And so I think, you know,
[16:52] like for some there are a lot of injuries that being sedentary is.
[16:58] Is actually something that can really make it worse. So I mean,
[17:03] that's something to pay attention to. Maybe you add more frequent breaks or get a standing desk or you know what I mean?
[17:12] There are things that for now, like if I cook for a long period of time or if I'm doing work in the kitchen, I'm very conscious of sitting to do some activities or leaning up against a counter to try and.
[17:26] Try and help with that because that can bring it back just as easily as.
[17:32] Tara Bansal: So having that awareness and trying to be in front of it is what comes to mind.
[17:38] Christina Donovan: Yeah. Kind of proactive with it. Yeah. Like if, you know there's something that makes it worse to try to mitigate that, you know, as much as you can. As much as you can.
[17:47] Yeah.
[17:48] Tara Bansal: I thankfully I'm like you. I really haven't had too many major physical injuries.
[18:00] I mean back when I was younger as a gymnast, like because one of my sons sprained his ankle and I feel like I'm almost an expert on ankle sprains because I had so many and what to do on that.
[18:15] But even that,
[18:16] our sister, we thought it was an ankle sprain and it was a break.
[18:20] Christina Donovan: Right.
[18:20] Tara Bansal: Like we didn't know. And that's always a concern.
[18:28] Christina Donovan: Yeah.
[18:28] Tara Bansal: I mean what comes to mind is like pulling my back out and then you know, one just how excruciating that pain is.
[18:37] But you can't do anything or I couldn't do anything.
[18:42] But every time.
[18:44] Because it hasn't happened now in a while. Knock on wood.
[18:47] Christina Donovan: But
[18:50] Tara Bansal: it did get better gradually over time. Yeah. I mean one thing I remember your theme for this year,
[19:00] or maybe one of your themes was stretching and it's almost ironic that you've been forced to stretch so much.
[19:08] Is that anything that your doctor said to you that could have helped, Because I know I don't do as much stretching as I should.
[19:18] And I always wonder.
[19:21] I used to hate, hate, hate stretching,
[19:24] but now I'm almost like so tight that I feel like in a way, I'm starting to crave stretching a little, which I never did before.
[19:35] I just wanted to.
[19:36] Christina Donovan: That's exactly me. I never stretched at all. I mean, I'm very unfair. I'm an unflexible person. And.
[19:43] But that is the one thing now. I mean, I stretch before I run. I stretch when I come back when I run. And I mean, some of it is. It just make it feels good.
[19:54] The other key thing that my doctor said,
[19:57] definitely stretching. But I can't think of what the word of. It's where you do a warmup that's like just a little bit active. There's a name for it that he says is particular before you start a run is really important.
[20:14] Instead of just like going out, it's
[20:17] Tara Bansal: like an actual warmup. You know, like your muscles warm enough before you actually push it.
[20:24] Christina Donovan: Yeah, he says that's really important too. With the other. And I am doing that. I have modified my routines. I mean, I'm pretty much back doing what I used to do, but now I have,
[20:38] instead of like running three days, I have a day where I just do the stretching and a walk. He told me that Pilates is probably the best yoga for me to do because a lot of my.
[20:55] Because of my four. Yeah.
[20:58] And he thinks that that would be beneficial for me,
[21:04] but which is surprising
[21:06] Tara Bansal: to me because I feel like the workouts you do all do work your core.
[21:11] Christina Donovan: Yes. I would never have thought that I had a weak core.
[21:17] But I will say, I mean, a lot of what my exercises and stretches were, I mean, it was a lot of planks,
[21:24] side planks, front planks,
[21:27] the exercises that work that trans abdominal.
[21:31] So like the bird dog and the dead bug.
[21:36] That was one of the things that my chiropractor said. Like, there's so many different muscles that make up the core that you can be doing core exercises, but only working
[21:48] Tara Bansal: the same ones over and over.
[21:50] Christina Donovan: The same ones or, you know, working ones that aren't necessarily what you need for the other activities that, you know, like, for the running, obviously that was a big deal.
[22:01] Tara Bansal: Um, so, yeah,
[22:04] I mean, I don't even run anymore,
[22:06] so I only walk and. And going back, like when I ran a lot My hips would, my one hip would really bother me until I couldn't, you know,
[22:19] run normally or keep running.
[22:22] Christina Donovan: And so I was mentally prepared that I might not be able to keep running. I mean, and I came to terms with that.
[22:32] And yeah, I mean, I would have just substituted walking.
[22:36] And who knows? I mean,
[22:38] I know there's going to be a point where I probably will have to stop running,
[22:44] just given my age,
[22:46] but I'm hoping I still have another 10 or 20.
[22:48] Tara Bansal: There are people that are 90 years old that still run, you know, like, I think we'll see. Paying attention to your body and seeing what.
[22:59] Christina Donovan: That's the thing. I mean, I guess I would hope that I'm flexible enough that I would find whether it's walking or another activity that gives me, you know, the same pleasure and, you know, fitness benefits.
[23:12] So.
[23:13] Tara Bansal: Yeah.
[23:14] Yeah. Just part of, for me is I have this,
[23:20] like, wanting to push myself,
[23:23] and yet the older I get, the less I want to push myself.
[23:29] And I keep wondering,
[23:32] I don't know, they talk about getting to the edge, but not like, going past that edge where it's more detrimental.
[23:40] And just noticing in myself, like, I, I,
[23:44] I notice I don't want to even get to the edge I used to.
[23:50] And, and I keep wondering,
[23:52] should I push myself more or not? And having this debate.
[23:58] Christina Donovan: Yeah, I mean, I think that goes back to,
[24:03] you know, what your goals are. I, in terms of healthy aging,
[24:07] I'm not so sure you have to push yourself to the edge. I mean, I think you want to keep getting stronger,
[24:16] keep getting stronger and keep keeping active. I think there's lots of ways to do that without necessarily making it painful or unenjoyable. You know what I mean?
[24:28] Tara Bansal: Yeah, but that's something that keeps coming up for me. Like, am I not pushing myself enough and am I just becoming more wimpy? You know? Yeah, so.
[24:43] Christina Donovan: But it goes back to, I mean, I think,
[24:45] I think it does depend on what your goal is. Like, if you're exercising or doing fitness for longevity and for healthy aging, I think it's more important that you do something versus the intensity of it.
[25:00] You know what I mean? In the long run, that's the more important. Yeah, the more important piece.
[25:06] Tara Bansal: Yeah, I think that's a good point. I'm not training to go to the Olympics or, you know, do any of that. It's. Right.
[25:16] Christina Donovan: And I mean, that's one of the things I realized, you know, like, I would run even if I had a hurt hamstring or my, I don't know, like And I was always just like, I just have to push through it.
[25:27] You know, it's like, well,
[25:30] you know,
[25:31] especially if in the long run it's gonna cause me an injury.
[25:35] I do think there's.
[25:36] Tara Bansal: Just.
[25:36] Christina Donovan: As you age, there has to be more of a realization and a consciousness of you're not as strong and you're not as adaptable as you used to be.
[25:50] Tara Bansal: Did the doctor or chiropractor tell you anything you could have done to prevent it? It sounds like it was more around the core work.
[26:00] Christina Donovan: No, I mean,
[26:02] one of the things that, I mean, I've always kind of prided myself on is I do a lot of different things. I'm not one of those people that I just run or.
[26:10] And so I kind of felt like my. I had a well, rounded body, but obviously I had points of weakness. And that's the particular injury that I had was because of these muscles in that particular area were weak and.
[26:30] And took the strain. If I had maybe been doing more core work.
[26:36] One of the things about my particular injury, which I. I think is a family genetic weakness, is hips.
[26:46] My hip flexors are really weak.
[26:50] Tara Bansal: Are they packed too?
[26:51] Christina Donovan: Like.
[26:52] Tara Bansal: That's the answer.
[26:52] Christina Donovan: And tight. And you don't think of that affecting your back so much, but yeah, I mean, that was a piece of it.
[26:58] Um, maybe if I'd seen a personal trainer or had maybe more expert advice in terms of the exer. The strength training that I did, maybe.
[27:09] Maybe I could have prevented it. Yeah, but I mean,
[27:14] it was likely, I think, to happen at, like, at some point. Just.
[27:21] It was like a. A vulnerable point.
[27:24] Tara Bansal: Do you think it was related at all to your triathlon or.
[27:26] Christina Donovan: No,
[27:28] I don't know.
[27:29] My chiropractor thinks it might have been, but I don't know. I've talked to a bunch of people about this now, not medical professionals, but. And they were like,
[27:39] I don't know. It's hard to say.
[27:43] I was experiencing hamstring pain in September after my triathlon, and I, of course, just kept pushing through it.
[27:56] But that is a symptom of my back pain. Like, when my.
[28:01] When this flares up and is bad, I feel it now it goes down my opposite leg, my left leg, and all the way down to my foot.
[28:11] And so he seems to think again. It's this idea that the training that I did made those muscles particularly vulnerable to strain and to injury. So I don't think I'll ever know.
[28:28] But there was a specific incident that triggered this. Like I said, I mean. Right.
[28:33] Tara Bansal: You know, the moment it happens.
[28:34] Christina Donovan: You know the moment it happens.
[28:36] Tara Bansal: Because that's like right now I'm having a decent amount of glute pain, but it's not. I don't know, it's not like from one specific thing.
[28:49] And yeah,
[28:50] it's just I feel it when I work out and I always am wondering. So I don't know.
[28:58] Christina Donovan: I mean, that is the one thing that my chiropractor said is like that area,
[29:03] the muscles in your lower core and in your back and in your groin and in your upper leg. It's like this network of nerves and muscles and they're all interconnected and it can make it really hard to know what the problem is or where.
[29:21] Where it is.
[29:23] You know, I thought it was my hamstring. It's not really my hamstring that is affect. You know, it's the nerve that's. That goes down along there,
[29:33] not necessarily the muscle. Yeah.
[29:36] Tara Bansal: But it's interesting that you now know that's like a warning sign.
[29:40] Christina Donovan: It is, right? Yeah. Like last.
[29:42] Oh, it was two weeks ago because I'm just getting back into my running and I mean that area,
[29:48] I call it my hamstring, but it's not. My hamstring was bothering me and that's where I was. Like, I have to. I took a break and it felt better and then I started up again.
[29:58] But yeah,
[30:00] I feel like it's important for me to pay attention to that.
[30:04] Tara Bansal: Are you going to make any other changes? Do your workouts or your routine?
[30:10] Christina Donovan: I mean, I do want to start a Pilates like once a week or at least try it and see. It might not be for me,
[30:18] but I feel like it's worth a try.
[30:21] It's worth a try. Yeah. That will probably be the biggest one.
[30:26] And again, the running I have to pay attention to
[30:31] Tara Bansal: right now.
[30:32] Christina Donovan: It seems okay. And I'm slowly increasing my mileage.
[30:38] Tara Bansal: Well, thank you for sharing and the takeaway.
[30:42] Christina Donovan: I hope it was helpful. Yeah, I guess
[30:46] Tara Bansal: to me the biggest takeaway is just as we age, our bodies change and accepting that and noticing
[30:56] Christina Donovan: that and working with it.
[30:57] Tara Bansal: Yeah, Trying to work with it instead of against it.
[31:01] Christina Donovan: I mean, you've changed your fitness routines quite a bit in the past. I mean, why does it.
[31:07] Tara Bansal: Since COVID I've been changing.
[31:10] Christina Donovan: What is the motivation around that?
[31:14] Tara Bansal: Some of it's just to try something different and see if I like it better or a good amount of it was time.
[31:27] So trying to get still a good workout in shorter time versus the workouts. We. We grew up with doing the Firm.
[31:38] And the shortest workout of that was,
[31:43] I think, 42 minutes. Most, you know, 45. And then other ones were an hour.
[31:49] And just with my boys and work, like, an hour felt like so much time. Yeah. And I do work out first thing in the morning.
[32:01] Um, and so.
[32:03] And I. You know, it's embarrassing, but some of it was, like, seeing these different things for women over 40,
[32:11] different types of workouts that are more better for us.
[32:17] So I started doing that,
[32:19] and it was more intense,
[32:22] for sure,
[32:24] but it was a shorter time period.
[32:27] And. And then I've just kept, like.
[32:31] I guess it's just, like, I keep trying different things,
[32:34] and I don't know if they're better,
[32:36] but as long as I'm enjoying it, like, right now I'm doing the bar definition,
[32:43] and I do feel like my core is more defined than it used to be,
[32:52] and it does incorporate more stretches, but I know once again, I'm not stretching as much as I probably should guess. The continual exploration and journey of wanting it to feel good and feel like I'm active and.
[33:14] Yeah, I guess I'm strong.
[33:16] Yeah.
[33:17] So,
[33:18] yeah, I think that's what's hard is as you age,
[33:22] I'm definitely not as strong as I used to be.
[33:26] Christina Donovan: Yes, I've noticed that too. Yeah. A definite change there for me as well.
[33:33] Tara Bansal: Mm.
[33:34] So, yeah. I don't know what the right answer is. Like, Tina, you definitely do more different things.
[33:43] I like to hike and I like to walk, but even that just.
[33:46] Christina Donovan: They're time consuming. Yeah.
[33:48] Tara Bansal: But lately I've been trying to take shorter walks more often.
[33:53] Like, I used to do three long walks a week,
[33:57] and now instead, I'm trying to just, like, walk for 20 minutes almost every day to see how that is. And one, I just like being outside.
[34:07] And I do feel like because of my work, I'm sitting more than I used to. So just like, all these different things, I guess I always like tweaking it and changing it.
[34:18] Christina Donovan: And it keeps you from getting bored, I guess, is the other thing. I think that's a. I mean, it could be.
[34:23] Tara Bansal: That is part of,
[34:25] like, you.
[34:27] We have so many firm tapes, so it's not like you do the same thing over and over,
[34:34] but it's also,
[34:38] if you have a certain routine and you keep doing the exact same thing, it's almost like I. I'm hearing, like, it's better to diversify.
[34:46] And you do diversify, but yet your diversification was still the same thing over a long time period.
[34:52] Christina Donovan: It was still using a lot of the same muscles and a lot of the same. Yeah.
[34:57] Tara Bansal: We'd love to hear from. From you if you've had what you've learned with aging and with any physical struggles, you know.
[35:08] Christina Donovan: Yeah. And injury, recovery from an injury, it can be daunting.
[35:14] Tara Bansal: Yeah.
[35:15] Christina Donovan: Yeah.
[35:16] Tara Bansal: All right, we'll talk to you next time. Thanks.
[35:19] As we wrap up today's episode, our connection challenge is a little different.
[35:25] This week, we're inviting you to connect with yourself by connecting with and listening to your body.
[35:33] If you can try to do this daily for the next week or so,
[35:37] there's a couple of ways you can do this.
[35:40] You can simply start noticing your body in small, quiet moments throughout your day,
[35:46] or you can set a timer for five minutes and do a simple body scan just to see what you notice.
[35:54] What stands out to you when you intentionally pause and check in?
[35:59] Maybe it's noticing when something feels off or when you're more tired than usual or when some part of your body is hurting or feeling tight instead of pushing through it.
[36:11] Just pause and ask yourself,
[36:15] what do I need right now?
[36:18] And then listen.
[36:20] If you can respond with a little more care,
[36:23] whether it's taking a break,
[36:25] slowing down, stretching, or doing something a little differently.
[36:29] Because one of the biggest takeaways for us as we get older,
[36:33] our bodies do change,
[36:35] and learning to work with our bodies instead of against them really matters.
[36:41] So this week, just start there,
[36:43] notice,
[36:45] and listen.
[36:46] And if you can,
[36:47] respond and see what shifts.
[36:50] Thanks for listening to messy middle lessons.
[36:53] If you enjoyed today's episode,
[36:56] it would mean so much to us if you subscribed, shared it with a friend, or leave a quick review.
[37:03] It really helps more people find us, and we're so grateful that you're here.
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For those who are interested in Tina’s specific injury, below are the specific diagnoses of her back injury with links to general info about each one:
Segmental dysfunction of lumbar region
Segmental dysfunction of sacral regionWorkouts Mentioned:
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Connection Challenge: Listen to Your Body
As we continue our theme of connection, this week we’re inviting you to connect with yourself—by listening to your body.
So often, we move through our days on autopilot. We push through discomfort, ignore fatigue, and override the subtle signals our bodies are trying to send us. And for many of us, that’s worked… until it doesn’t.
One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation is that as we get older, our bodies change. Recovery takes longer. Small things can turn into bigger issues. And learning to work with our bodies instead of against them becomes more important.
This week, if you can, try to check in with your body once a day.
You might simply pause for a few moments and notice how you’re feeling.
Or set a timer for five minutes and do a quiet body scan—just observing what stands out.Are you more tired than usual?
Is there tension or tightness somewhere?
Does something feel off?Instead of immediately pushing through, try asking yourself:
What do I need right now?
And then—if you can—respond with a little more care.
That might mean taking a break, slowing down, stretching, going for a walk, or doing something differently than you normally would.
This isn’t about getting it perfect.
It’s about building awareness and connection with your body.Your body is constantly giving you information. This week’s challenge is simply an invitation to intentionally start listening to your body.
Notice.
Listen.
And see what shifts.