Low impact exercises?

AllAboutThatPace

I need some suggestions, please!

I had foot surgery on 9/11. It was seriously one of the most painful things I have been through and I have had two kids!! I was just recently approved for "low impact exercises" by the doctor. He gave me two examples: walking and biking. He also said "No running or jumping or anything that causes your foot to have a hard impact on the ground, etc."

Here is the other part - I have a 4 year old and a 7 month old and during the week, it's just me (husband is out of town for work). I want to exercise. I used to do it at least 3 times a week, but most of what I did, I can not do now. I can't bike with the two kids at the moment. The time change is screwing with the little mini walks we did once we got home, because it's almost completely dark by time I pick them up after work.

So, I need some ideas. Preferably something I can do inside and where I can still keep an eye on my kids. I really would prefer to do 30 min a day, about 3 times a week to start off. Any suggestions would be appreciated. At this point, I just want to get moving.

I do plan on trying to walk for 20 min of my lunch at work, but would like to do something else in the evenings maybe. Thanks!

TheRealKit

Is there any where in your area that offers water therapy?
It saved my life when I got injured and water aerobics and therapy burns lots of calories.

AllAboutThatPace

For now, the doctor does not want me to soak my foot, because it's still healing in one spot. So, I can't swim or take baths or anything that would make me have to submerge my foot in water. I do anticipate him clearing me for that soon though.

CindyMarcuzAdams

Go to youtube and look up walk at home videos. Leslie sansone is awesome. She will make you move your butt.

CrazedCrow

Hi Luckie, what about some low impact circuits made up of pushups, planking, situps, wall sits, crunches, leg raises, tricep dips, bridges, hip raises, pivot uppercuts etc. A lot of these exercises can be done with variations to work different areas and you can pivot on your knees for the pushups if it puts to much pressure on your foot. I do a lot of stationary bike at home so if that's available I'd go for that (assuming it doesn't conflict with what you said above about biking). Maybe even some yoga. If you do these exercises based around a 30 second work period and 10 second rest it will really work you. If stationary bike then you may want to do like a HIIT routine 1:1 or 1:2 work/rest ratio for good fitness. Mix it up. You may even want to try yoga. Hope this gives you some ideas - good luck

CleverClone

Have you thought about T-Tapp or Pilates? In T-Tapp most exercises are done standing up and you sometimes have to balance on one leg, so I don't know if that suitable for you right now. However I think Pilates is mostly floor work?

And yeah, like it was suggested above body weight exercises like planks, push ups etc. would probably work nicely too.

CrazedCrow

Oops mentioned yoga twice - Doh! BTW nice Velma piccy

GoneGirl50

Go to Youtube and look up Fitness Blender Low Impact. They have some good starter workouts. Also, the old PBS show "Sit and Be Fit" with MaryAnn Wilson is on Youtube.

Sit and Be Fit is an award-winning exercise program for senior citizens and individuals with limited physical motion, that is available on video tapes and is distributed to public television…

VKF5

Hi Luckie, I agree with CrazedCrow ... lot's of good body weight exercises you can do. To get a lot done in a short time try Tabata like routines. Strictly speaking that would be 8 rounds of 20 seconds of exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest. Do as many reps of the exercise as you can do during the time allotted. Stack a couple of those together and you'll feel challenged for sure. As an example ... you could do one Tabata with squats followed immediately by one doing push ups and then one doing crunches. Add the warm up and cool down/stretching to your 12 min routine and you're around a 30 min work out.

If you want to try interval training like this a timer REALLY comes in handy. There are free apps you can find on line that are made to do this or you can buy a timer too. Google interval timers and you'll find them.

Good luck.

PS: You know chasing two small children around burns a lot of calories too.

AllAboutThatPace

Hey, I just learned about the notification button, so I just found all of your responses. Sorry! Thanks for everyone's input. Will definitely try some of them!

birdie_mmw

I use Grokker when I am at home and need a low impact, body weight exercise. If you search for Tabata exercises, you will find some great videos! It is free, too!