Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/ADQNUEvNNbY
[Treadmill scene]
The 2026 birthday fitness challenge focuses on solving problems rather than doing pushups to failure. I’ve had three specific issues I needed to address, and I’ve found a resolution for all of them.
The first issue is knee pain. I had started jumping rope but I experienced noticeable discomfort walking up and down stairs.
[Stairs 22 Feb scene]
Despite doing lunges regularly, the knee pain never resolved. It got to the point I felt a little unstable traversing the stairs. In February of this year, I would steady myself as I gingerly took each step up the stairs.
[Treadmill scene]
I was thinking of getting a rebounder (a mini trampoline) as a no-impact alternative to jumping rope, but then I saw a video of this older lady walking backwards on a treadmill explaining that this did wonders for her knees. I thought, “That’s brilliant!” and decided to try it. Just as the lady said, it worked wonders for my knees.
[Stairs 7 Apr scene]
After two months of walking backwards for 5 minutes a day, my knee pain is gone and I can hustle up and down the stairs fluidly.
The second issue is golfer’s elbow. I injured my elbow by excessively loading my forearms while doing bodyweight rows. The result was that I couldn’t hold my right arm out in front of my body palm up without significant pain. I rested for a few days but the pain remained. I rested for a few weeks. Still no improvement. Weeks turned into months with only slight reduction of pain. After a year and a half, the pain was mostly gone but if I loaded my forearm at all, the pain came right back.
[Shoulder Screw scene]
I had to do something to encourage blood flow to the inner elbow without loading it at all. So, I focused on four mobility exercises. #1: the shoulder screw
[Intuflow scene]
#2 Intuflow exercises for the arms.
[Forearm rotation scene]
#3 Straight forearm rotations.
[Saber roll scene]
And #4, wrist saber rolls.
[Up down dog scene]
After mobilizing my arms, I mobilize my entire posterior chain with up/down dog. This prepares me to get active. Which leads to the third issue: cardiovascular capacity.
[Burpees scene]
Since I spend most of the day sitting at my desk, my heart rate and respiration are not challenged sufficiently unless I intentionally exercise. I looked for a way to increase my NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis). The first idea I had was to listen to an audiobook while walking on the treadmill. That led to the idea of a brief but high intensity movement that I could do on days when I wasn’t doing some other longer, workout.
Burpees are a very challenging exercise that rapidly drives heart rate and respiration to max capacity. It’s not obvious from the video but my chest is contacting the floor on each repetition down while the elbows lock in the top position.
[box pike pushups scene]
After recovering my heart rate using box breathing, it’s time for a strengthening exercise for the arms. In this case, pushing only, no pulling because my forearm can’t handle the load (yet).
For pushing, I use box pike push ups. Since the feet are elevated, this pushup variation is more challenging than a regular pushup, making it a progression on the way to the handstand pushup.
[ground pike pushup scene]
After the pike push up from the box, I downshift to the pike pushup with feet on the ground.
[passive hang scene]
Finally, to build forearm strength without loading the elbow, I do a passive hang.
[rows scene]
I performed these exercises for a couple months and finally regained the ability to perform very light body rows without pain.
So, that is my birthday fitness status update for 58 years. I hope you found these demos not merely interesting but helpful. Until next year, stay fit!