Fractured ribs and exercising: low-key recommendations?

gatorento

Could use some encouragement and/or suggestions for decent cardio/weights that don't make me breathe too hard! Had a hiking accident, and fractured my left ribs. It hurts when I breathe deeply or have too much movement. Thought I could just work through the pain. However, the fractured ribs set me back more than I thought they would.

Reduced my exercise (basically none for the past 2 weeks, except walking my dog) and got pretty discouraged this week, due to the decreased exercise - I really miss it a lot. Then, I found myself eating more simple carbs than veggies, and replaced my exercise hours by spending more time working at my desk job.

I plan to start exercising again today, but will have to keep it low key until ribs fully heal. When you have to workout at low intensity, it sure does increase the time commitment - which is discouraging! I had been making good, solid progress - steady loss of 1 lb per week. Now I'm behind on my goals, and worried that I'll lose fitness due to reduced exercise the last 2 weeks.

How can I ensure that I don't lose too much fitness while ribs heal? If I start exercising again, will it have a deleterious impact on rib-healing, if I "work through the pain" at tolerable levels?

awkwardsoul

IMO, if it hurts, stop - health is important and buggering the ribs will make it take longer.

my husband broke a rib a couple months ago - pretty much no weights for 6 weeks as it hurt a lot, and he had to deload when he got back into it (and it was a struggle).
The doctor recommend like pretty easy cardio like walking, stationary bike, but it was around week 4 he was feeling more normal for his ribs to start anything!