CBS reporter Amanda Balionis is taking some time off to recover from a herniated disc. In September, she had a busy schedule, traveling to eight cities in three weeks, staying in seven hotels, covering three NFL games and attending two golf tournaments. Busy travel has taken a toll on her spine, which she recently shared on Instagram.
On Thursday, October 9, Amanda Balionis shared a clip sitting by the ocean in a white top. She revealed that a CT scan in New York confirmed a bilateral herniated disc in her C7 and said she was lucky the pain was only on the left side.
“We took another round of steroids. That helped a lot. And also my schedule slowed down a lot, thank God, because I think that absolutely added to the whole thing,” she added.
She also stressed the importance of listening to your body.
“A forced physical, emotional, mental break that was absolutely necessary. I haven’t worked out in a month… Slowing down matters. Listen to your body, everyone,” she said.
Balionis captioned his story with a reminder for his followers:
“One day I will learn this lesson without being tough – Slow things down – You can’t lie to your body – If you ignore it; emotional pain = physical pain.”
In a subsequent story, she explained in more detail how she recognizes physical signs of stress and takes steps to manage them. She emphasized journaling, meditation and long walks as ways to release tension and prevent further injury. Balionis called this self-awareness a “superpower,” while emphasizing that it’s still a work in progress.
Earlier, she shared her battle with a pinched nerve in her neck, caused by compression at the C4/C5 vertebrae. Herniated disc is linked to these persistent spinal problems, making rest and recovery essential.
Amanda Balionis opens up about her ‘horrible’ career nightmare
Amanda Balionis recently shared a relatable confession after waking up in a cold sweat from a nightmare about covering an NFL game. Despite his background in golf and football, Balionis admitted that his mind struggled to disconnect from work, even on his days off.
In an Instagram Story posted on October 6, Balionis revealed that she had another “horrible” work-related dream early Monday morning. She said that every time she gets a rare weekend off, she ends up daydreaming about her job. This time the nightmare involved being on duty in the NFL but completely unprepared for one of the teams.
Balionis described waking up drenched in sweat after the dream and even added a poll asking fans if they had experienced similar work-related nightmares. His caption read:
“A tradition like no other: Every time I have a weekend off, I have a horrible work nightmare. This one? I was covering an NFL game and completely forgot to prepare for one of the teams. I didn’t know anything about them. I woke up in a sweat. Happy Monday!”
This isn’t the first time Amanda Balionis has spoken out about the challenges of balancing golf and soccer coverage. Speaking to Golf’s Jessica Marksbury ahead of Super Bowl LIII, she explained how preparation for the two sports is completely different.
“It couldn’t be more different. I mean, even because of the logistics of golf, I’m in the same place or two places all week. And you have time to prepare, to do research, to prepare your questions. It’s a very organized process,” Balionis said. (via Daily Express)
“With football, it’s not as organized. In any given game, a player can fall and get hurt. At any moment, something crazy can happen, and you have to constantly pivot.”
Amanda Balionis has built her career steadily since graduating from Hofstra University in 2008. She began covering high school sports for Verizon Fios Channel 1 and MSG Networks before joining the PGA Tour in 2011 as a digital reporter. In 2016, she signed with Callaway Golf and joined CBS the following year, becoming a full-time member of their broadcast team in 2018.
Edited by Sonali Verma
