HELP!!! Cannot do Cardio... Must exercise.

shules82

Hi guys,

I joined the MFP last Monday and have already lost 4 lbs. I am super excited! :bigsmile:

HOWEVER:

I really want to add exercise into the regimen and I want to burn calories more than strength train. The problem is that I have a very painful wound on the sole of my foot that is taking WEEKS to clear up. Can anyone offer ideas for exercise that would burn calories similar to brisk walking etc but does not require stomping on that painful spot? (To complete the Gordian Knot of problematic complexities, I do NOT have access to a swimming pool and hope to find something I can do without a gym membership LOL.)

Thanks to anyone who can help!

SASSYJAX

Its gotta be cycling eh, or you could try a rebounder mini trampoline.

I am a power walker and the rebounder gets me as puffed if I work it good...it is a tricky one.

Or how about rowing?!

Good for you and Hi from the UK!

jennmcpherson

Cardio boxing is a great workout, you could just take away the bouncing from foot to foot and work your upper body. You might not get your heart rate way up but it's something. I use Gold's Gym Cardio boxing on my Wii. Love it!

yogigirl720

Hey that great u lost 4lbs so fast. :happy: Have u tried riding a bike? even doing punches might help too. its some kind of movement.

stroutman81

I really want to add exercise into the regimen and I want to burn calories more than strength train.

Just for the record, strength training burns quite a few calories, too.

And not all strength training can be lumped into one category. For instance, you can have the traditional stuff where you're lifting heavy weights (relative to your strength) and taking longer rests between sets of each exercise.

Or you can have weight training that's more metabolic. By that, I mean it's high rep, light weight, and short rest. Even though you're moving weights around... it's still viewed in the "body's mind" as a form of cardio.

The former and the latter *both* burn calories. The latter, however, might be more what you're looking for. If you'd like specific recommendations, just ask.

Sorry about the injury and hope it heals up soon for you.

savvystephy

I agree with an above poster about boxing. Punches are a great way to get cardio in with a lower body injury. Add some weight and you'll have cardio and strength training at once!

shules82

Or you can have weight training that's more metabolic. By that, I mean it's high rep, light weight, and short rest. Even though you're moving weights around... it's still viewed in the "body's mind" as a form of cardio.

The former and the latter *both* burn calories. The latter, however, might be more what you're looking for. If you'd like specific recommendations, just ask.

Sorry about the injury and hope it heals up soon for you.

Thanks everybody! Ya'll are awesome. I think the bike sounds really interesting. Also, I might now have a great excuse to buy a Wii. And yes Steve, I would LOVE specifics!

shanolap

I agree with doing curcuit training with weights, but don't count out pilates and power yoga. As with anything in life, you get out of it what you put into it

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weezy8150

I always go back to what I learned in high school 'a hundred years ago'.....lie in front on the tv on your back and do slow leg lifts, legs together, for the stomach. then up on all fours for the back leg lifts, those are harder, side to side, and hold them out there. Then I do a lot of standing side to side stretches, also push ups on the floor, and stand making large arm circles. These would keep the stress off your bad foot for now.

yogigirl720

I have the wii fit and wii active and its amazing, if u do decided to buy it try the wii sports. the time passes so fast and its great to play either alone or w family family and friends.

Ahaverland

There is a machine that can be used as a sitting bike (it is just the foot pedals that you do cycling motions but you are not putting weight on your joints) or as arm cycling, you set it on a table and pedal with your arms, because you are working your upper body in a fast pace motion your heart rate will elevate and you will get the same cardio benefits without having to put weight on your foot. Here is a link for one just as an example, good luck!

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=arm+bike+machine&cid=13896289369871694571&sa=title#p

ErinSarah12

I feel your pain! I have a sartorial muscle tear (which is a fancy way of saying my knee really hurts!!!) so I can't run, bike or swim (so my triathlon training is going really well :bigsmile: ) I am doing a couple of things to avoid stressing it.

1. Yoga. It's just awesome. It's amazing how much you sweat doing what seems like simple movement! If you have never done it before, I recommend doing a trial membership at a studio (they are about $20 for an unlimited pass for one week where I am) and then you can download free workouts, or buy DVDs (the P90X yoga is a good workout!).

2. Circuit weights and combination exercises. Think of any exercise you might do following a DVD, in a class, or back in high school gym class (think pushups, situps, burpies, lunges etc...). Now write down about ten of them, and do them in one minute intervals (one minute for exercise one, one minute for exercise two etc...). Do that circuit three times and you'll be sweating like crazy!

3. Take advantage of weight classes at your gym if you belong to one. If you don't, try out their free 7 day pass to get some ideas from their classes!

Good luck!

shules82

Each comment is more helpful than the next. Thanks guys! Ya'll are the best!

stroutman81

And yes Steve, I would LOVE specifics!

Possibilities are endless, really. I didn't catch whether you're training at a gym or at home. And if it's at home, I'm not sure what you have at your disposal in terms of equipment. But any weight would do.

You could do traditional circuit training weight weights where you merely run through a list of exercises using high reps and low rest. Once you complete the list, start back at the first exercise. Rinse and repeat as many times as you'd like. Something like:

Bodyweight Squats x 15
Romanian Deadlifts x 15
Assisted Pullups or Pulldowns x 15
Pushups or Modified Pushups x 15
Lunges x 15

Or you could do a circuit that includes other things. For instance, I train a wrestling team in their pre-season for conditioning and I'll have them do station drills. Essentially they move from one station to the next where they spend a minute at each station and 30 seconds rest between each. You'd have to limit your exercise selection to things that don't bother your foot. We typically do jump rope, mountain climbers, burpees, shuttle sprints, russian twists, bodyweight squats and pushups, etc.

You could do complexes where you literally do one giant set of various exercises using dumbbells or a barbell without putting it down. The weakest exercise in the "bunch" dictates the weight you use. So the giant set might look like this:

Romanian Deadlift x 5
Standing Rows x5
Front Squats or Goblet Squats x5
Overhead Press x 5
Lunge x 5

So you do 5 reps of the deadlift then go right into 5 reps of the standing row, so on and so forth. Once you complete the last movement, you rest for a couple of minutes, rinse and repeat.

I could go on and on... and don't get hung up with the exercise selection. The point is, not all strength training is created equal. You can use weights for a cardio effect.

shules82

Thank you Steve. I will get to work. Great stuff on the blog btw!

stroutman81

You're welcome, and glad you're enjoying the blog.