Fighting for Routine: Discipline in the Middle of Recovery

Recovery Doesn’t Come With a Roadmap

Recovery doesn’t come with a roadmap—especially when the body you’re trying to reclaim doesn’t move the same way it used to.

After my spinal fusion, I wanted nothing more than to get back to rolling, lifting, and running—back to what once made me feel strong.

But I knew I had a long road ahead of me—and no shortcuts.

I didn’t bounce back. I staggered.
And often, I slipped.


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Starting Small—And Failing Often

At first, I had no idea what I was capable of. Lifting was out of the question, and running was a distant dream.

So I looked for something simple—something I could do safely and consistently. I landed on ab work. It wasn’t flashy, but I knew a stronger core would help protect my back.

I started with one minute of ab exercises each night. Just 60 seconds.
It felt like nothing.

But I showed up.

That minute became two. Then five. Eventually, seven minutes straight every night.

Of course, it wasn’t a smooth climb. I fell off plenty of times—missed nights, had flare-ups, lost motivation. There were stretches where I had to scale everything back down to a minute or two and rebuild all over again.

That part is important.

The backsliding wasn’t failure—it was part of the process.
It taught me that progress doesn’t mean never falling.
It means choosing to get back up.


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Adding Movement, One Step at a Time

Once I had a small routine going with abs, I started craving more movement. That’s when I began walking my dog.

At first, the walks were slow and short. I had to focus on posture, foot placement, and keeping tension off my spine. But even those short walks became another part of the routine—a new layer of habit.

Walking became both physical therapy and mental reset.
It gave me space to think, reflect, and feel like I was doing something—even if it was just a lap around the block.

Eventually, I found the rowing machine.

It was low impact, rhythm-based, and it didn’t punish my back like running would have. It gave me structure. Gave me feedback. And most importantly—it gave me a sense of power again.

Each pull a silent defiance against everything I thought I’d lost.


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Discipline Is Repetition, Not Perfection

Recovery isn’t glamorous. It’s quiet, repetitive, and full of setbacks.

But discipline isn’t about showing up perfectly.
It’s about showing up again.

The key lesson I’ve learned is this:
Build habits, not hype.
Don’t chase some massive goal in a burst of effort.
Chase a small, repeatable win.

One minute of abs.

One short walk.

One rowing session.


Some weeks I was consistent.
Other weeks, I had to restart from scratch.

But I never stayed down for long.

The goal wasn’t to be perfect—it was to keep returning to the work.


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The Power of Small Wins

Every routine I’ve kept—starting with abs, then walking the dog, then rowing—began small. And fragile.

And every single one had to be rebuilt after I fell off.

But each time, I came back with more patience.
More humility.
More resolve.

Recovery doesn’t reward intensity.
It rewards consistency.

And in the long run, discipline isn’t how hard you hit—
It’s how often you return to the fight.

So I fight for my routine.

Not because I expect to win every day,
but because every time I get back up,
I already have.

In recovery, that’s what matters most.

-Mic G