How to keep fit whilst injured?

Pema91
Pema91 Posts: 44
in Motivation and Support
I have managed to injure the upper part of my body (some sort of nerve damage and also a depressed rib) which restricts my movement including heavy lifting and intense cardio.
I have not been able to train and it's driving me crazy, my PT wont touch me so I can't get advice from him. Does anybody know any gentle exercise I can do to keep relatively fit whilst I recover? I have been going on the bike (one with full sit back chair) and max 65 HR (breathing heavily hurts me), but want to work on my core too.
Is this something I can do? I can't rest, I will go crazy. Please tell me there is something I can do in the meantime!

Thanks,

Px

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Pema91/view/my-thoracic-outlet-syndrome-and-other-stories-514246

Replies

  • doIlhands
    doIlhands Posts: 349 Member
    swimming?
  • AmyMgetsfit
    AmyMgetsfit Posts: 636 Member
    Maybe check out some easy core exercises for the balance ball. I injured my rotator cuff last summer. I couldn't do anything. The slightest movement from anything would jar it and cause extreme pain. After 3 months of PT, I was left to finish the job myself. I started lifting very light weights. I still don't lift more than 15# dumbells. I am taking it very slow. I don't want to reinjure it.
  • Pema91
    Pema91 Posts: 44
    Dear oxjennalee, thoracic pain comes from repetitive strain, esp from activities that include raising your arms so swimming may not be the best for me.

    Thanks AmyMgetsfit, I'll google some balance ball exercises. Yep my PT thought it could be the cuff as well because the sort of activities that was setting off the pain. It's going to be a slow process and I'm finding it very frustrating at the moment. Did you have to change your eating habits in the initial stages of recovery? If so do you have any tips?? I'm a big eater due to the amount of training I was doing, but now finding it hard to curb my habits!

    Px
  • Sqeekyjojo
    Sqeekyjojo Posts: 704 Member
    I have had similar where, having been very active, injuries took me out just as I was doing great.

    You must be extra careful because the painkillers will mask a lot of pain. Whilst swimming might not be great, just plain sitting and standing in the pool and moving around gently will mean you can do controlled twists, leg raises, crunch movements, stretches, etc whilst supported by the water. A balance ball might cause too much pain right where you're hurting.

    Gentle stretches are the way to go. Gentle deep breathing to increase the amount of movement. Shallow breathing too fast will make you faint and fall over. Which makes you look silly and hurts.

    At the same time, there's no way around it - you cannot eat the same amount of food without putting on lots of weight. It's hard. I know. But not as hard as trying to get your fitness 68 pounds heavier. Or in my case, 100 + heavier. Use everything you can - drinking lots of water, having broth based soups at every meal, good protein sources - whatever it takes to minimise weight gain.


    It will be hard. I hope your recovery is swift. But everything you do to help yourself will be worthwhile in the end.
  • AmyMgetsfit
    AmyMgetsfit Posts: 636 Member
    No I didn't do anything differently with eating. At its worst in pain, I wasn't hungry anyway. Because I was in a new state and didn't have a dr, it took me 4 months to see a dr, have an mri, see the dr after she got back from vacation for the results. Being a new patient she would not give me any pain meds until the results of the mri came back and that was the end of October. I did have to take 2 pills right before I left for PT in the very beginning because the pain from that was unbearable. My husband had to drive me. By mid December I was pretty much off of them and could do the therapy without them. I am almost 100% now, though still have a little trouble putting my arm behind my back all the way. But I can live with it. My ratio's were in the low single digits the first day of PT when he did the measurements. I was in sad shape. Once the pain was manageable and I could eat more but still wasn't exercising I gained about 10lbs. That is part of the reason I am here. To get fit, healthy and lose my extra lbs. For me part of the reason I was injured in the first place was because I was inactive and out of shape.
  • Pema91
    Pema91 Posts: 44
    Thanks guys for your advice. Having been so active, I've fallen hard from this and have been quite down recently. I'm now having to take time off work and will be seeing a neurosurgeon at the end of the month so surely the only way from here is up! :)

    Ms Px
  • Sqeekyjojo
    Sqeekyjojo Posts: 704 Member
    Thanks guys for your advice. Having been so active, I've fallen hard from this and have been quite down recently. I'm now having to take time off work and will be seeing a neurosurgeon at the end of the month so surely the only way from here is up! :)

    Ms Px

    That's good. Keep reminding yourself that this is only a temporary blip in your health and fitness and you will get better.

    It'll take time, but this will improve for you.

    Good luck with the specialist.

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