Juan Sinag Cano

There was a striking pain behind my back. Chilling. Paralyzing. One second, I was standing. The next, I was crumpled on the bathroom floor, my hand clawing at the basin like it was a life raft. But there was no help—just me, the floor, and a creeping realization that my body had just betrayed me.

Sciatica.

I had heard about it before. A friend once told me how it nearly crippled him, how it ripped away his ability to play ping pong like he used to. But I never thought I’d feel it myself. Yet there I was, a so-called “fit” guy, barely able to move. My legs felt like dead weight, my spine locked in agony.

I needed to drive to the hospital. The keys to my car were missing. The only set I could find? My father’s truck—a manual transmission. Ever tried working a clutch with sciatica? It felt like someone was shoving a red-hot dagger straight through my lower back every time I moved my foot. That was the most painful day of my life. For someone who has never been hospitalized, who has always believed in pushing through the pain, that was the first time I ever had to beg for help just to stand.

And in that moment, something hit me harder than the pain itself: Was this it? Was this the moment my pursuit of peak athleticism came to a dead stop?

Then, another thought crept in. A familiar one. One I’ve lived by all my life: If it doesn’t kill you, it makes you stronger.

So I went to the doctor. His advice? Rest. Stay still. Let my spine recover.

I hadn’t rested properly since I started my fitness journey. I hadn’t taken a break since I became a father. I hadn’t slowed down since I dove headfirst into freelancing and content creation, juggling deadlines, projects, and responsibilities. But stopping? That wasn’t an option. The only time I planned to stop was when they put me in a coffin.

So, despite the pain, I worked. I wrote scripts. I edited videos. I built content strategies for fitness brands. I kept my clients’ gyms buzzing with engagement, even as I sat, locked in place, my back screaming at me to quit.

And that’s when it hit me: I didn’t get sciatica from training too hard. I got it from sitting too much.

The Freelancer’s Curse: Movement is Survival

We chase deadlines. We sit for hours, locked into our screens, crafting, editing, creating. But the irony? The very thing that fuels our passion—this work, this hustle—can also wreck us if we let it. Sciatica, bad posture, chronic pain—they don’t come from overuse. They come from neglect.

I was so obsessed with getting things done that I forgot to stand up and move. And my body made sure I’d pay for it.

Here’s what I learned the hard way: If you’re a freelancer, content creator, or anyone who spends their days tied to a desk, your body is your business. Treat it like garbage, and it will throw you to the ground—literally.

How to Stay Healthy While Working a Desk Job

Want to avoid the hell I went through? Do these.

1. Move Every 30 Minutes – Set a timer. Stand up. Walk around. Stretch. Just don’t sit there like a statue for hours.
2. Fix Your Posture – Keep your back straight. Shoulders relaxed. Screen at eye level. No hunching like some gremlin in a cave.
3. Strengthen Your Core – A weak core = a weak back. Do planks. Do dead hangs. Train your midsection like your career depends on it—because it does.
4. Invest in a Standing Desk – Or at least a chair that doesn’t turn your spine into a question mark.
5. Stretch Daily – Hip flexors. Hamstrings. Lower back. Keep them loose, or they’ll tighten up and ruin your day.
6. Hydrate Like Your Life Depends on It – Because it does. Dehydration makes everything worse, including pain.
7. Get the Hell Outside – Sunlight, fresh air, real movement. Your body wasn’t made to be glued to a screen in a dark room.

The Takeaway: Pain is a Teacher

Sciatica was a brutal wake-up call. It reminded me that no matter how strong I thought I was, neglecting the basics will always come back to bite you.

The same lesson applies to freelancing. You can grind all day and night, but if you don’t take care of yourself, your career will suffer. Burnout. Creative blocks. Health problems. The crash always comes.

So, take it from me: Move. Stretch. Treat your body like an asset, not an afterthought. Because in this game—whether it’s fitness, freelancing, or content creation—the ones who last aren’t the ones who never fall.

They’re the ones who learn how to get back up.