I didn't know you could do that to yourself

So I recently started exercising.  Not incidentally. I've never done that for its own sake before in my life.  See, about five years ago, my back started giving me a lot of grief.  I mean, like having to walk with a cane kind of grief.  And that got better and worse over the years, but what it essentially meant is that the life (and livelihood) I was used to having - which was largely based on my ability to move - got pulled out from under me.  When everything you do hurts you don't want to do anything, so I got out of shape.  And the pain medicine made me want to eat all the time.  So I gained weight.

Last year I found out that if I had been working out the whole time I was a dancer I would still be able to do it, and I probably wouldn't have had to have the surgery I had last April.  At the beginning of this year, the neurosugeon that did that surgery said I had to have spinal fusion.  He said, "That's the only option at this stage."  That sounds pretty scary all by itself.  And then he had this big talk with me about how any time there is invasive back surgery there is the perceivable risk of paralysis.  What??  I got second, third opinions.  This is what I learned:

1. Of course the guy that did my last surgery wants me to have another one.  That's his paycheck.
2. If I did go the spinal fusion route, they'd be fusing my last few vertebra to my tail bone.  I would lose considerable range of motion and would never move right again.
3. Losing weight and getting my core strong will get my body to hold my lower back together naturally instead of having to cut my back open again to accomplish that with wires.

So would I end up like this?

Or this?

Hmm... Decisions, decisions...

So I got off my lazy, feeling-sorry-for-myself bum and started walking.  Now I'm not talking about a leisurely stroll.  I mean target heart rate, three to five mile walks.  As often as possible.  And it's not as fun as dancing, but I have great music with me when I go, and have a fantastic pedometer app that really motivates me, and I get an inkling of what I felt when I used to dance.  I guess that's the endorphin thing(?).  I learned not to be overzealous when I had to take a break to let my sprained foot muscles heal.  I didn't know you could you could do that to yourself.  So now I've decided to listen to my body's cues and rest when I need to.  I've been doing pretty good and I'm confident I'll feel comfortable in a bikini again by summer.

Fun fact: I sing at top volume as much of the time out as I can. (I get dance acts that lip-synch in concert now.  You try sustaining a note for five secoonds at your target heart rate.)  Sometimes only the harmony parts.  Wonder what my neighbors think of that? :p