Life with Scoliosis

3 Days in Rome!

Posted on March 12, 2017April 12, 2020 by Louise

I've just got back from an amazing 3 days in Rome for my birthday and thought I'd share what I got up to :-) We arrived late at night and so checked into the hotel and basically just went to sleep, as we were tired from a day of travelling! We had also booked onto a full day Vatican Museum and Colloseum tour the next day which started early (8am), so we needed to get some rest in preparation. Day...Read More

Travelling with Scoliosis: My 5 Top Tips

Posted on March 5, 2017April 12, 2020 by Louise

This post contains affiliate links. It's my birthday next week and I'm off to Rome! (SO excited!) Anyway, it got me thinking about travelling with scoliosis. I LOVE to travel and I am lucky enough to have travelled to some amazing places since I had my scoliosis surgery. I don't let my scoliosis stop me from going anywhere or doing anything. In fact, it makes me more determined to see as many places as possible. I have survived many long...Read More

British 10k London Run

Posted on February 25, 2017February 20, 2021 by Louise

I'm so excited! This week it was confirmed that I have a place in the British 10K London run on 9th July and I'll be running to raise money for the Scoliosis Campaign Fund. The British 10K London run takes runners through some of London's most iconic sites, such as Trafalgar Square, the Embankment, Big Ben and more. The Scoliosis Campaign Fund raises money to support people with scoliosis and their families, and fund research into finding the causes of...Read More

One step forwards, two steps back…

Posted on February 23, 2017April 13, 2020 by Louise

In the main, I really try to be positive on this blog and inspire others. I also want to be honest and reflect what it's really like living with scoliosis. There are good days and bad days and well, tonight if I'm being honest, I'm feeling really fed up. Leg Numbness For the past 6 months or so I've been getting numbness down my right leg and into my foot. It's not painful, it's just numb and my right leg...Read More

My Body Pump Results – part 1

Posted on February 18, 2017April 13, 2020 by Louise

So, a few months I wrote a post about how I have started to go to Body Pump classes at my gym in a bid to build strength. The reason I decided to start Body Pump was because, after injuring my shoulder muscles through running, I realised I needed to get stronger. I think Body Pump for me is a way of taking control of my condition. Hopefully, by building stronger muscles, this will help to protect my back and...Read More

Blog Award: 100 Best Blogs for Disabled People and Carers

Posted on February 15, 2017April 12, 2020 by Louise

I just wanted to write a quick post to say THANK YOU to Stairlifts Reviews for featuring my blog in their exclusive list of 100 Best Blogs for Disabled People and Carers. I've had a read of the other blogs on the list and there are some truly amazing and inspirational blogs and personal stories of people living with disabilities and long term conditions. It really means a lot to me to have my blog noticed and listed with the...Read More

Running with Scoliosis: My Top Tips

Posted on February 9, 2017October 21, 2022 by Louise

This post contains affiliate links. I have scoliosis and I had spinal fusion surgery in 2010. I am fused T3-L3. About 5 years after my scoliosis surgery, I started getting into running. A friend of mine asked me to run a Race for Life 10K with her. I had never ran before but I decided to support her. At the time, I didn't have a clue what I was doing, but I followed the training plan and ran my first...Read More

Veganuary: why I went vegan for a month

Posted on February 1, 2017April 12, 2020 by Louise

This January, as part of my New Years Resolution, I took part in Veganuary. For those of you who have not heard of Veganuary, it's basically going vegan for the month of January. So this may seem slightly unrelated to scoliosis but I feel like for me, healthy eating and looking after myself goes hand in hand with scoliosis. I feel like I try and eat healthily and work out BECAUSE I have scoliosis. It's kind of my way of...Read More

My First Park Run: Delamere Forest

Posted on January 28, 2017April 13, 2020 by Louise

I've been meaning to go to a Park Run for the last 6 months (since I registered last year). I've been putting it off though, mainly because I was worried that I wouldn't be able to run the full 5K without stopping. I got into running about two years ago now, when a friend invited me to run a 10K Race for Life for Cancer Research. That was my first ever organised race and I had about 5 weeks to...Read More

Pilates for Scoliosis: Review of Curves, Twists and Bends

Posted on January 22, 2017April 13, 2020 by Louise

This post contains affiliate links I recently purchased the above book from Amazon "Curves, Twists and Bends: A Practical Guide to Pilates with Scoliosis" and thought I'd share my honest opinion. Pilates is something I've always wanted to get into, as I know it's important for me to have a strong core. I have been to the odd Pilates class over the years but I've always left feeling underwhelmed. The issues I've had with Pilates classes are: Some Pilates exercises...Read More

10 simple scoliosis exercises you can do at work

Posted on January 21, 2017April 13, 2020 by Louise

When you work full time, it is sometimes difficult to fit in enough time each week to exercise. Having scoliosis means keeping core muscles strong in order to protect the spine. We have to be more determined in maintaining a healthy body, no matter how busy our schedule gets. I thought I'd share a useful infographic which shows some simple exercises that you can do right in the comfort of your office. The best part about these exercises is that...Read More

Scoliosis surgery what to bring to hospital

Posted on January 8, 2017February 10, 2021 by Louise

I get asked a lot what to bring to hospital for scoliosis surgery, so I've compiled a helpful list. I know how stressful it can all be so I've also created a checklist that you can easily download and print - see the link at the end of this post. Below are items that I found useful when I was recovering from scoliosis surgery in hospital but they are probably relevant for any back surgery. I hope you find it...Read More

Happy New Year (and a plea!)

Posted on January 1, 2017April 13, 2020 by Louise

I just wanted to write a quick post to wish anyone who might read my blog a very happy 2017! I still can't believe 2017 is here (seriously HOW did that happen?) last year went so fast. So it's around this time of year that I always get reflective, where am I going? What am I doing? What is the purpose of life? etc etc. I also look back at the previous year and what I have achieved. In terms...Read More

Getting Fit with Scoliosis: My 5 Best Scoliosis Exercises

Posted on December 28, 2016October 23, 2020 by Louise

Getting Fit with Scoliosis: 5 Best Exercises for Scoliosis This post contains affiliate links I thought I'd share my favourite scoliosis exercises and fitness challenges that have helped me since my scoliosis surgery. If you have scoliosis and fancy a new challenge, or want to get fitter, why not give some of the below a try.. 1. 10K steps a day challenge I personally think the 10K steps a day challenge is a fantastic challenge for those of us with...Read More

Feature in Backbone magazine

Posted on October 27, 2016April 12, 2020 by Louise

This month I was proud to have my blog featured in the Autumn edition of BackBone magazine (available to members of the Scoliosis Association UK) for a blog post I wrote for International Scoliosis Awareness Day (ISAD) back in June last year. [caption id="attachment_533" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Feature in Backbone magazine[/caption] I love getting involved in International Scoliosis Awareness Day, which falls on the last Saturday of June each year, as I think it's vitally important in helping to raise awareness...Read More