OT- Mo and anyone else, tips on working out with an ankle injury? - YouLookFab Forum

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OT- Mo and anyone else, tips on working out with an ankle injury?

Queen Mum

Veteran

I am beyond annoyed and frustrated that I tripped on the trail yesterday and sprained my ankle fairly significantly. It doesn't look as bad as yours did Mo, but it is swollen and stiff and I'm pretty much shuffling rather than walking. I'm not going to hope to run again for several weeks.

I'm most annoyed because I was in such a good workout groove and had dropped a few pounds and feeling really good about my body. Now I feel that it is all going to go to pot.

okay, end of my pity party.... lets come up with a solution....

I figure I can swim and do upper body/ab stuff in the weight room. Perhaps soon I can go to cycling, but probably not yet. Any ideas on getting my heart rate up to burn calories given that running, the treadmill, stairclimber and probably bike may not be an option for a while?

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21 replies

Latest reply was from Carole

kellygirl

Veteran

Bummer, KIm. I was thinking stationary bike--perhaps a spin class. That really gets my heart pumping but it sounds like that may not work for you yet. I wouldn't rule out the bike though--perhaps spinning at a low resistance and high rpm would be worth a try. You could do intervals and gradually up the resistance if it doesn't bother your ankle.

tarzy

Veteran

Oh no! No suggestions, just sending some virtual chicken soup and good wishes your way!

Queen Mum

Veteran

once the swelling goes down, I can probably do the bike, but now I can barely flex or point my foot. Not that i'm going to try to do anything within the next couple of days.... but I'd like to get back into the groove by Tuesday.
So yes, if I can do the bike, between that and the pool, I might be okay for cardio.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Does your pool have a water aerobics class Kim?

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Oh, so sorry to hear this, Kim! It's really frustrating. I have no advice except DO let it heal, and DO work out to the best of your ability in the meantime. If you see a physio he or she may have recommendations.

I injured my wrist in the spring and it was very frustrating; it's not completely better yet. But I did workarounds and continued at the gym, and while I lost some upper body strength, I was also able to gain it back quite quickly as I recovered.

Queen Mum

Veteran

yes, there is a water aerobics class. I hadn't thought of that. I"d be by far the youngest one in the class, but it might be a good workout.

Diana

Veteran

I agree that swimming is probably your best bet. I'm not sure the bike is a good idea at least at first because it requires a lot of ankle movement and you may reinjure the ankle or cause more swelling.

When I sprained my ankle very badly my doctor gave me this fantastic ankle brace:
http://www.amazon.com/Mueller-.....038;sr=8-3
Once the swelling went down I was able to walk pretty well wearing the brace (it will fit inside a lace up shoe like a sneaker) even though the ankle was still tender. It limits your ankle motion so that you don't reinjure it. I bet you'd at least be able to walk (although probably not run) on the treadmill with one of these.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Oh no! I did swimming first. I still couldn't even walk on it when I got into the pool. I then did the indoor bike. It didn't aggravate it nearly as much as I anticipated it would. Surprised me. Of course, I did nothing for almost 2 months! But mine was pretty bad.
Proprioception exercises are a good idea. But don't push it too much too soon. You'll be sad if you make it worse. It was over 4 months before I attempted a trot of a run/walk.

Mamapicklejuice

Veteran

Erg/rowing machines? Probably still too much movement for the ankle...

I find that just doing pull/ups or push-ups can raise my heartrate.

Take this opportunity to really monitor food intake and eat healthy! I'm sure that eating well will help you heal faster.

So sorry about your poor ankle...that stinks.

ETA Do you have access to a handbike at the gym? Can you rent one from a bike shop?

Queen Mum

Veteran

thanks for the link Diana. I will have to check into that. I was reading that an ankle brace would be a good idea. I didn't go do the doctor, nor do I plan to.... I'm being my own webMD... so any and all of your own tips and advice are more than welcome.

Mo- wow, I didn't realize that you didn't do anything for 2 months. I really hope to atleast be able to swim this week, and of course I can do all the upper body I want. But you're right.. the last thing I want is to aggravate it. I was also reading about tabata exercising. I could probably use that apporoach with a variety of exercises to keep my heart rate and stamina up.

I know I'm being paranoid, but I can't help but fear that I'm going to wake up tomorrow having gained 5 pounds, especially since I'm not doing anything really other than sit in my recliner with my foot elevated.

Heather

Veteran

Oh, no, Kim! This is terrible news!!! Remember to ICE...A LOT. Even if it seems inconvenient or annoying. If you are sitting down, keep a sack of ice on it.

And tabata is awesome with a multitude of movements. Push yourself through each round!

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Kim, I actually lost weight while being laid up - so don't freak out just yet! Odds are your appetite will decline in line with your activity levels going down. I did mine the very day after my half marathon, remember? Talk about going from 60 to zero. Trite as it is, time heals. And, yes, Tabata intervals will do the trick if you can get on the bike pain free. For me, swimming really ups my heart. More than biking.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

You might be surprised, Kim. My classes have lots of older people, and several younger people with weight or health issues. It's pretty fun!

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

If you have the option do the deep water aerobics.

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

Oh Kim I totally feel for you - I dislocated my knee last October in a bad fall in a cross country race and I know just how frustrating not running can be. Will you be doing any physio? If so, I would ask them for suggestions for alternate exercises. And don't knock water aerobics - I did that for about three months and really enjoyed it! Remember to allow yourself time to heal.

Queen Mum

Veteran

Khris and Shannon~ I'm not knocking the water aerobics... but I"ve been in the locker room... trust me, they all have 20 years on me

And Shannon, I'm not going to do PT... I just paid a bucket load of $$ for PT for another running injury I had back in May. I'll go this one on my own and buy new boots later

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

Well then, just think how HOT you'll look in comparison!

Queen Mum

Veteran

mpj- no hand bikes at our gym. I'm not sure about the rower yet... that seems to use alot of leg movement.
yes on pull ups and push ups, but boo to monitoring food intake ;-( I'm going to really have to resist boredom eating.

Lisa

Veteran

Oh no! Sorry to hear about your ankle. I am recovering from foot surgery and as an avid runner I am crushed, the recovery is a full year. The running has to wait for 6 months. And the main recovery with crummy Dr only footwear is the first 3 months. It's a big change in activity level for me.

Right now all I do are sitting exercises that do not require any weight on my foot. Ab exercises, pushups on my knees with the legs bent, leg raises, tricep kickbacks, pretty much anything from the waist up that I can do sitting on the floor. Perhaps you can start with the upper body until you can handle more weight on your foot. And yes, I've been trying to curb my eating a tad, which is not easy! I try to drink "fancy" waters to replace when I am bored snacking. All the sparkling types mix it up and some of them are even flavored. Wishing you a speedy recovery!

Jonesy

Veteran

Swimming sounds like a great idea! Kim, I empathize with you so much. I have gotten into a groove, running-wise, but I live in fear that I'm going to get injured and be laid up. I agree with others who have said to make sure to go easy on the recovery. I developed really bad tendinitis in one ankle (really bad, with lots of swelling and pain) and it took me about 6 years (and the help of a great bodywork pro) to get my ankle back to 100%.

Carole

Veteran

Kim, I don't really have anything to add, but wanted to say how sorry I am that you are out of commission!

I was supposed to have foot surgery last fall and chickened out because of the required "down time". I would give water aerobics a try if the doc says it's ok. Just think how young you will feel with all the seniors in the pool.