Physical Activity and Broken Bones.

[fire_breeze]

I recently broke my foot and ankle and am wearing one of those sexy walking boots . While I know it's imperative for me to stay off of it and to rest as much as possible, I am a bit concerned about my level of inactivity. While I am attempting to watch what I eat, the doctor told me that healing and knitting bones requires a lot of energy, so not to be surprised if I becoming inexplicably hungry (very much check!) and not to worry about how much I eat. As a former 'fat' girl, I have a slight fear (okay, phobia) about gaining weight, and would like to make sure that I do not gain any significant amount of weight and/or turn into mush. And let's face it, I'm bored .

Furthermore, I feel that I am getting a bit antsy and becoming a bit snippy because I cannot move around or go to the gym or do any hard cardio, and then I have trouble sleeping at night. It's actually very frustrating and while at the moment I am good at containing my frustrations, I do not want to take it out on anyone around me. Generally, the gym or going for a long walk is my go-to solution, but for obvious reasons, I cannot.

Does anyone have any ideas or recommendations in keeping active without hindering my recovery? I am still dependent on a cane when I leave the house and I cannot put too much pressure/weight on my foot, so extended yoga is kinda out.

And any other tips for dealing with this would also be greatly appreciated, as I have never broken anything in my life!

Thank you in advance


ETA: Just in case someone asks me to go and speak to my doctor, let me add that the doctor who treated me is NOT my regular doc but rather an ER one, and as this is currently flu season, with a nasty bug of gastro running around, I am not in the mood to go and bother my GP.

 

[NippleMuncher]

There is plenty you can do at the gym without using your foot. You may not be able to get a good cardio workout until you are back to normal, however, the physical exertion should help with the symptoms and problem you're worried about. Find a gym that has a pool, water aerobics and general swimming provides a great low impact workout. Talk to a trainer for a regimen that works for you.

 

[fire_breeze]

There is plenty you can do at the gym without using your foot. You may not be able to get a good cardio workout until you are back to normal, however, the physical exertion should help with the symptoms and problem you're worried about. Find a gym that has a pool, water aerobics and general swimming provides a great low impact workout. Talk to a trainer for a regimen that works for you.

Thank you for the tips, NM!

Sigh. I was worried that someone would say that and now I have to actually go, you know, swim-suit shopping. However, it might be worth it. Retail therapy counts as low-impact cardio, right?

I might also mention that I cannot drive due to the foot, and currently I do not live in a place with any decent public transportation, which adds to my frustrations as I feel like a 14 year-old asking for rides .

 

[NippleMuncher]

You're welcome.

If you're "shut in", then with a little creativity you can work out at home, even if you don't have workout equipment. Sacks of sugar or flower work well for weights, you could also use canned goods.

Push ups (from the knee so as not to strain the foot/leg ), leg lifts, sit ups, and a host of other exercises only require room for you to stretch out on the floor. Blankets will work for a mat to cushion you if need be.

I bet you can find a number of good websites to help with more forms of exercise and equipment substitutes.

 

[SweetErika]

I'm sorry to hear about your injury, Fire!

There's A LOT you can do with a walking cast.

Googling things like "sitting workout" might provide some good ideas to start. I found these for you, too.

Stuff you might do at home:

-With free weights and/or resistance bands (there are the wide strips of rubber, and also the tubes), you could do a ton of upper body stuff and even some lower body work. For instance, you could slip a wide band that's tied to form a circle around your legs at different points (above your cast, obviously) to work on your quads, hips, etc.

-There are also modified yoga poses for those who need to sit or take it easy for whatever reason(s). And of course you can practice the breathing, even with your leg elevated. I bet you can find some of these online, via YouTube, etc.

-You could also get an over-the-door system that uses resistance bands. I bought one years ago (at Walmart for about $30, IIRC), and it actually provides a pretty good workout.

-If you have an exercise ball, I bet you could do quite a few things with that, including core work.

-Hell, even knitting burns more calories than just sitting, so if you happen to knit or something, pick that up while you're resting your leg.

-And then there's always leg lifts in various directions, crunches (even sitting), pushups, and flexing/holding certain muscles. If you don't have weights or bands, you could still lift things that fatigue your muscles, use a towel for resistance, etc.


Finally, I know you don't want to visit your GP, but if you can get a physical therapy referral NOW (vs. waiting until your cast comes off), the therapist could help you figure out some workouts and maybe provide some tools (like different resistance bands) that will keep you in shape without putting your healing bones at risk. Perhaps even with just a visit or two, a good physical therapist could potentially give you a week-by-week workout program that takes your probable level of healing into account. I'd suggest going this route over seeing a personal trainer at the gym because a holistic approach that takes how your body is working and healing at this time IS important and you definitely don't want to hinder your recovery in any way, even though I'm sure you'd have to see your GP for the referral. Of course NM's gym/trainer idea is good, too; I'd just favor working with someone who has A LOT more education and experience dealing with injuries and limitations like yours in this particular case.

FWIW, I had a broken ankle and foot as a teen, and the pool was something that was painful even after the cast came off. It was a great, supportive place to do a lot of my rehab exercises, but I'm pretty sure it's something you should save for when your bones are nicely healed unless your doc or physical therapist recommends it. This early in your recovery, you may need special equipment to support your bones and get in and out of a pool safely. So wait until you have your GP's/PT's approval before you worry about swimsuit shopping.

If you combine some reasonable exercise with a good diet, you should be just fine.

Best wishes on minimal pain and quick healing!

 

[satindesire]

The calories you'll burn putting your bone back together will make you VERY hungry. I recommend sticking another serving of dairy in your diet until several weeks after you're fully healed, your blood-calcium reserves will be extremely taxed as your body puts your foot back together and you don't want your foot's calcium needs to be drawn from your teeth, which is usually where they're taken first if you don't have adequate calcium in your diet. If you're not already taking a supplement for calcium/vit. D, add one of those to your regular daily routine. I'm probably preaching to the choir here as I know you're very much smart enough to know all this stuff already, I just want to make sure. Yogurt, string cheese and a glass of milk are all great ways to add calcium to your diet, satisfy your hunger, without adding too many calories so you won't have to worry about weight gain.

You may notice some tooth sensitivity in the next few weeks, if so, up your calcium supplements and add another glass of milk or some Swiss Chard, Sesame Seeds, or Scallops to your diet.. It's almost impossible to restore lost calcium to your teeth, and this can cause severe problems for you in the future.

 

[silverwhisper]

i have nothing useful to add, i just want to say sorry to hear about the broken foot/ankle. :<

ed

 

[fire_breeze]

Thank you all for your responses!! I truly appreciate your well-thought answers, and all of your suggestions, advice, and good-wishes. I was a bit hesitant in asking, but I am very happy that I did. Thank you

(and I was half expecting a couple of trolls saying 'masturbate and send me the pix" in badly written English )

You're welcome.

If you're "shut in", then with a little creativity you can work out at home, even if you don't have workout equipment. Sacks of sugar or flower work well for weights, you could also use canned goods.

Push ups (from the knee so as not to strain the foot/leg ), leg lifts, sit ups, and a host of other exercises only require room for you to stretch out on the floor. Blankets will work for a mat to cushion you if need be.

I bet you can find a number of good websites to help with more forms of exercise and equipment substitutes.

You were supposed to say that yes, retail therapy is a valid form of cardio and is not exerting one's broken foot.

I do thank you for your input and for some of your ideas. I am, afraid to say, very much a shut in right now, and very dependent on family and neighbours for lifts and to get stuff done outside of my place. Le sigh.

I'm sorry to hear about your injury, Fire!

There's A LOT you can do with a walking cast.

Googling things like "sitting workout" might provide some good ideas to start. I found these for you, too.

Stuff you might do at home:

-With free weights and/or resistance bands (there are the wide strips of rubber, and also the tubes), you could do a ton of upper body stuff and even some lower body work. For instance, you could slip a wide band that's tied to form a circle around your legs at different points (above your cast, obviously) to work on your quads, hips, etc.

-There are also modified yoga poses for those who need to sit or take it easy for whatever reason(s). And of course you can practice the breathing, even with your leg elevated. I bet you can find some of these online, via YouTube, etc.

-You could also get an over-the-door system that uses resistance bands. I bought one years ago (at Walmart for about $30, IIRC), and it actually provides a pretty good workout.

-If you have an exercise ball, I bet you could do quite a few things with that, including core work.

-Hell, even knitting burns more calories than just sitting, so if you happen to knit or something, pick that up while you're resting your leg.

-And then there's always leg lifts in various directions, crunches (even sitting), pushups, and flexing/holding certain muscles. If you don't have weights or bands, you could still lift things that fatigue your muscles, use a towel for resistance, etc.


Finally, I know you don't want to visit your GP, but if you can get a physical therapy referral NOW (vs. waiting until your cast comes off), the therapist could help you figure out some workouts and maybe provide some tools (like different resistance bands) that will keep you in shape without putting your healing bones at risk. Perhaps even with just a visit or two, a good physical therapist could potentially give you a week-by-week workout program that takes your probable level of healing into account. I'd suggest going this route over seeing a personal trainer at the gym because a holistic approach that takes how your body is working and healing at this time IS important and you definitely don't want to hinder your recovery in any way, even though I'm sure you'd have to see your GP for the referral. Of course NM's gym/trainer idea is good, too; I'd just favor working with someone who has A LOT more education and experience dealing with injuries and limitations like yours in this particular case.

FWIW, I had a broken ankle and foot as a teen, and the pool was something that was painful even after the cast came off. It was a great, supportive place to do a lot of my rehab exercises, but I'm pretty sure it's something you should save for when your bones are nicely healed unless your doc or physical therapist recommends it. This early in your recovery, you may need special equipment to support your bones and get in and out of a pool safely. So wait until you have your GP's/PT's approval before you worry about swimsuit shopping.

If you combine some reasonable exercise with a good diet, you should be just fine.

Best wishes on minimal pain and quick healing!

- thank you for the links. While some of the suggestions are at the moment, not-doable on account of not having any balance whatsoever - I know that it will hopefully come in handy soon, and in the meantime, it has given me an idea. I just recently found an old pair of crutches and I plan to hobble up and down the street to get some relatively intense cardio which may hopefully get my blood pumping.

The suggestion of the stability ball is excellent and much appreciated! I'm modifying some workout on it and am sitting on the ball when I just sit around.

I also like the idea of asking the physical therapist. While a visit right now may not be feasible (ie. being shut in), a call can never hurt.

I may have to take up knitting

Thank you so much for your input and good wishes.

The calories you'll burn putting your bone back together will make you VERY hungry. I recommend sticking another serving of dairy in your diet until several weeks after you're fully healed, your blood-calcium reserves will be extremely taxed as your body puts your foot back together and you don't want your foot's calcium needs to be drawn from your teeth, which is usually where they're taken first if you don't have adequate calcium in your diet. If you're not already taking a supplement for calcium/vit. D, add one of those to your regular daily routine. I'm probably preaching to the choir here as I know you're very much smart enough to know all this stuff already, I just want to make sure. Yogurt, string cheese and a glass of milk are all great ways to add calcium to your diet, satisfy your hunger, without adding too many calories so you won't have to worry about weight gain.

You may notice some tooth sensitivity in the next few weeks, if so, up your calcium supplements and add another glass of milk or some Swiss Chard, Sesame Seeds, or Scallops to your diet.. It's almost impossible to restore lost calcium to your teeth, and this can cause severe problems for you in the future.

Thank you so much for your advice. While I am health conscious and am usually the first to notice these things, I'll admit that I had a literal face-palm moment when I read the upping the calcium. It's one of the blatantly obvious things that should have crossed my mind but that I honestly didn't think of it.

Any excuse I have to up my dairy and to consume more yogurt and cheese is more than fine by me!

It's also very reassuring to hear (again) this inexplicable hunger and the fact that bone-healing consumes a lot of calories. It's actually calming

Thank you

i have nothing useful to add, i just want to say sorry to hear about the broken foot/ankle. :<

ed

Thank you Ed. Although it's through my sheer stupidity that I got myself broken, so I think it's better to pity the chair and the floor!

But thank you

 

[bailadora]

Most of what I was going to recommend has already been covered, so nothing new to add on that front.

Anyways - just know I'm thinking about you and praying for swift recovery, FB.

 

[bobsgirl]

-Hell, even knitting burns more calories than just sitting, so if you happen to knit or something, pick that up while you're resting your leg.

...

Sorry to hijack..

But this is awesome news! Knitting is life!

Yes, I lead a very sheltered life...

 

[NippleMuncher]

(and I was half expecting a couple of trolls saying 'masturbate and send me the pix" in badly written English )

Ah geez, a guy humps a girls leg just once and he can never live it down!

Oh, sorry, I didn't do that right ...

Herro, I are uh Nigerian prinse ...

 

[Nightbird]

Hi FB..

I think most of what I'm about to say was covered but there are a lot of things you can do at home.

Leg Lifts, Crunches, Sit Ups.. Get some big cans of food or something with some weight to it and exercise your arms but doing Curls..

Heal swiftly!!

 

[BertrandRussell]

I second the suggestion to go swimming. BTW, you do not have to wait until the cast comes off:
http://www.amazon.com/Dry-Pro-Waterproof-Cast-Protector/dp/B000S6CHRK

 

[erotica_n_s]

...if you can get a physical therapy referral NOW (vs. waiting until your cast comes off), the therapist could help you figure out some workouts and maybe provide some tools (like different resistance bands) that will keep you in shape without putting your healing bones at risk. Perhaps even with just a visit or two, a good physical therapist could potentially give you a week-by-week workout program that takes your probable level of healing into account. I'd suggest going this route over seeing a personal trainer at the gym because a holistic approach that takes how your body is working and healing at this time IS important and you definitely don't want to hinder your recovery in any way, even though I'm sure you'd have to see your GP for the referral. Of course NM's gym/trainer idea is good, too; I'd just favor working with someone who has A LOT more education and experience dealing with injuries and limitations like yours in this particular case...

...If you combine some reasonable exercise with a good diet, you should be just fine.
...

Totally agree with that.

Sorry to hear about your injury, get well soon!

 

[yuna1981]

-------------

 

[fire_breeze]

Ah geez, a guy humps a girls leg just once and he can never live it down!

Oh, sorry, I didn't do that right ...

Herro, I are uh Nigerian prinse ...

I did warn you that I'll keep bugging you because you did!

Oooh, good one. And will you send me 9 million USD in a pretty pink bow too, please?

Hi FB..

I think most of what I'm about to say was covered but there are a lot of things you can do at home.

Leg Lifts, Crunches, Sit Ups.. Get some big cans of food or something with some weight to it and exercise your arms but doing Curls..

Heal swiftly!!

Thank you for your input, Nightbird.

I second the suggestion to go swimming. BTW, you do not have to wait until the cast comes off:
http://www.amazon.com/Dry-Pro-Waterproof-Cast-Protector/dp/B000S6CHRK

Thank you for your input and for the link - I'll see if I can find something on-line within Canada however swimming is not an option. Not only do I not live near an indoor pool and will therefore have to drive (which I can't due to the foot) but I also don't have a swim suit.

But for rehab, it does seem like a wonderful idea. When I actually have the okay to drive, I might check it out.

Totally agree with that.

Sorry to hear about your injury, get well soon!

Thank you

Aw, I'm so sorry you are injured, and I wish you a speedy recovery!

If you can get rides to the gym, I suggest you try the recumbent arm bike, set the resistance high and you'll get an AWESOME workout, your heart rate will definitely reach cardio range.

Thank you!

I'm in the process of negotiating rides to the gym and will have to talk to a trainer there anyway, so I will ask if that is an option.

Thank you all so much!! I've been feeling blah lately, so I have been taking it easy, but the good news is that the swelling has been going down tremendously, and thanks to Satin's smack in the head, upping my calcium. The pain is also becoming more minimal and I don't think I've taken any type of pain meds (including Tylenol) for a good 5 days now.

 

[satindesire]

Thank you all so much!! I've been feeling blah lately, so I have been taking it easy, but the good news is that the swelling has been going down tremendously, and thanks to Satin's smack in the head, upping my calcium. The pain is also becoming more minimal and I don't think I've taken any type of pain meds (including Tylenol) for a good 5 days now.

I'm more than happy to help you, hon.

 

[Noor]

I used a pilates reformer until I could walk again.

 

[NippleMuncher]

I did warn you that I'll keep bugging you because you did!

Oooh, good one. And will you send me 9 million USD in a pretty pink bow too, please?

I love you because you get me.

I wish you the best, love. Heal quickly, heal well.

 

[bailadora]

Thank you all so much!! I've been feeling blah lately, so I have been taking it easy, but the good news is that the swelling has been going down tremendously, and thanks to Satin's smack in the head, upping my calcium. The pain is also becoming more minimal and I don't think I've taken any type of pain meds (including Tylenol) for a good 5 days now.

Yea! Thanks for the update, Fire Breeze. Sending good thoughts your way.

Infuture,astro....blah, blah, blah.

Fucking spammer. Reported.

 

[fire_breeze]

Just an update - I got the okay to remove the cast! PLUS I got the okay to do some mild cardio (stationary bike and elliptical) and I can do the heavier stuff in 2 weeks. My bones has knitted well and is healing like no tomorrow. The doctors and nurses were very impressed I seriously cannot wait until I can wear shoes again, and not just runners.

I do want to thank you all for your input and suggestions. I tried to move as much as I can and keep my muscles in the foot from atrophying. Worked like a charm. While I did gain a little weight, it's nothing serious, easily fixed and could even be accounted to water weight.

Thank you all for your help, support and good wishes

Fucking spammer. Reported.

My thread got spammed? Yay! I've been initiated

 

[NippleMuncher]

Just an update - I got the okay to remove the cast!

Found this today and thought of you.

http://edge.ebaumsworld.com/mediaFiles/picture/1044414/82404439.jpg

 

[bailadora]

Excellent news, Fire_breeze! Thanks for letting us know.

 

[Noor]

Just an update - I got the okay to remove the cast! PLUS I got the okay to do some mild cardio (stationary bike and elliptical) and I can do the heavier stuff in 2 weeks. My bones has knitted well and is healing like no tomorrow. The doctors and nurses were very impressed I seriously cannot wait until I can wear shoes again, and not just runners.

I do want to thank you all for your input and suggestions. I tried to move as much as I can and keep my muscles in the foot from atrophying. Worked like a charm. While I did gain a little weight, it's nothing serious, easily fixed and could even be accounted to water weight.

Thank you all for your help, support and good wishes




My thread got spammed? Yay! I've been initiated

Great news!!!!

 

[satindesire]

Thanks for the update, babe! I was hoping you're okay! Sending huge hugs and kisses your way!