Exercise after a fall?

sapf
sapf Posts: 146 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey guys, on Monday night I fell down a flight of stairs at a subway station in NYC. Since then I've had a lot of pain in my right hip and shoulder (in addition to the bruised knees, but those really aren't a big deal). Walking hurts so I've only been doing it when necessary and very slowly - about 2 or 3 miles a day at a snails pace instead of my usual 5 miles. Is there any cardio exercise that I can do with this kind of pain that won't make it worse?

PS - I know the standard advice: see your doctor -- he has no appointments available.

Replies

  • moustache_flavored_lube
    moustache_flavored_lube Posts: 849 Member
    I would suggest rest for a couple of week (or until pain subsides). Just pay attention to your diet. Rushing back into excersize just prolongs the problems you will burn fewer calories over the long term because it will take you so long to heal
  • sapf
    sapf Posts: 146 Member
    I would suggest rest for a couple of week (or until pain subsides). Just pay attention to your diet. Rushing back into excersize just prolongs the problems you will burn fewer calories over the long term because it will take you so long to heal

    Thanks for your response Mr (Ms?) Lube ;-) I know that I probably should rest it but I eat when I'm bored. The way I'd been fighting that is to exercise when bored instead of eating. So it is extra hard for me to control diet when I can't exercise.
  • schicksa
    schicksa Posts: 123 Member
    I definitely know how it feels to be banged up after a fall! I usually back off a little bit and stick to things like spin class, swimming, maybe elliptical. The swimming takes all the weight off your joints and gets you working different muscles you normally don't use, and if you're comfortable enough you can alternate positions (kick only, pull only, back, front, side) to find one that most works. When I was coming back from breaking my ankle that's what I used to keep things going. Spin class is also awesome and low-impact.
  • sapf
    sapf Posts: 146 Member
    I definitely know how it feels to be banged up after a fall! I usually back off a little bit and stick to things like spin class, swimming, maybe elliptical. The swimming takes all the weight off your joints and gets you working different muscles you normally don't use, and if you're comfortable enough you can alternate positions (kick only, pull only, back, front, side) to find one that most works. When I was coming back from breaking my ankle that's what I used to keep things going. Spin class is also awesome and low-impact.

    Swimming is a good suggestion, though with my shoulder injury I guess I'll be using a kick board the entire time. I was on swim team in high school, so I am quite comfortable in the pool :-) I'd better shave my winter leg hair forest today and swim tomorrow.

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