After continuing to ignore the pain from the herniated disc, one day my back truly stopped working.

I couldn’t stand up on my own. Couldn’t walk. I was taken to the hospital by ambulance and admitted on the spot.

”If This Continues, You Will Lose the Use of Your Back”

Lying in the hospital bed, I listened to the doctor speak.

“If you continue living the way you are, your back will stop functioning completely. In the worst case, surgery will be necessary. You need to change your lifestyle right now.”

I’d heard something similar before. But this time was different. I heard those words while truly unable to move.

I understood it not in my head, but in my body.

I Looked for “Exercise That Costs Nothing”

After being discharged, I felt that I needed to start some kind of exercise.

I didn’t have money for a gym. Anything that required equipment felt like too high a hurdle. After thinking it through, what came to mind was jogging.

All you need is shoes, and you can do it anywhere, for free. That was the reason I chose jogging.

This hospitalization was the moment my awareness of my own health was born.

I still think: I wish I’d realized sooner. But I also think: if that hospitalization hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t be who I am today.

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Next time: My first jog in my life. 100 meters looked impossibly far away.

※ This article is based on personal experience and publicly available information. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease. If you have health concerns, please consult a doctor or registered dietitian. See our Disclaimer.