Questions regarding resuming normal activities

Thanks to everyone on this site. Almost done with the Great Pain Deception, and I see myself in the book. Trying To journal daily and make time for self care.

Today I tried flexing forward from my waist with the weight of my upper body completely supported by my arms, so my back muscles did not have to perform work to straighten myself I flexed to about 40 degrees, and felt some stiffness in my back as I flexed . In my mechanistic thinking I would expect stiffness since I have not done this in a year. But now I’m thinking of TMS. I was not anxious while performing the maneuver and ddI not have immediate pain after I straightened up, but as I walked my back started tightening. I took a small dose of a muscle relaxant. Later I tried to tell my brain to stop but the rightness did not resolve. I did my second walk of the day, but skipped my stair climbing practice. This deceased my confidence in TMS, and put me back in to my mechanistic thinking of stiffness and weakness in my soft tissues supporting my spine

I have some questions:
1. Are these reactions expected when initially returning to activity with TMS ? I have read stories of people who immediately returned to vigorous activity, and I’m still struggling to walk up slight inclines, stairs, and I can’t flex forward without discomfort. Could use some advice here

2. Do you wait until you are almost pain free before attempting regular activities, or do you push through the pain and resume activities?

3. Should O continue physical therapy or stop that since it puts the focus on the body ? Again, my intrinsic back muscles feel weak a deconditioned.

Thanks, Everyone.