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    How to lose weight while on crutches...

    Posts: 927 Member
    edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
    Well. I sprained my ankle. This is the 3rd time I've sprained the same ankle, so crutches are not foreign to me. However, I don't know how long I will be on these. I was training for a 5k, but I guess I have to put that off (though, I'm still doing the 5K). I know I can do upper body work outs, but I don't own dumbbells and can't exactly make it to the gym. So how can I continue to lose weight on these cursed things? Should I drop my calories lower? Or what?

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    • Posts: 927 Member
      bump.
    • Posts: 972 Member
      Once you start healing, I'd recommend doing ankle strengthening exercises.

      But, that aside,...

      Swimming
      Low weight, high rep weights (like 10# dumbbell bench press - 100 reps x 3, done really fast
      Kayaking??
    • Posts: 2,019 Member
      Getting around on crutches burns a fair amount of calories:

      http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-burned-using-crutches-a491
    • Posts: 39 Member
      Eat less!

      I don't exercise, I started slimming world which is essentially a calorie controlled diet and lost weight so.....

      X
    • Posts: 3,614 Member
      Run your 5K


      On your hands.
    • Posts: 927 Member
      Run your 5K


      On your hands.
      Thank you.
    • Posts: 6,833 Member
      Weigh yourself without holding the crutches.


      Seriously though, just eat lower than your maintenance calories and do upper body weights (bench press, seated OHP, anything seated really)
    • Posts: 234 Member
      One of my friends on MFP does a lot of chair aerobics because of knee issues. If you do a youtube search for chair exercises, there are a lot of videos available. Below is one I found. This person has several videos and she is very easy to follow. Most of the exercises looks like things you can do with one leg (since you are seated). She also has video's for ab work outs sitting down. My friend logs her chair exercises as "marching in place".


      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAeZZbpi8Ow
    • Posts: 1,170 Member
      I think swimming would be great but check with your doctor first tho!
      And you can use anything for weights, fill a 1 litre bottle with water and you have a 1kg dumbbell. also you can still use your own body weight. woman press-ups on your knees? ab exercises. and just general walking on crunches burns a lot of calories!
    • Posts: 2,654 Member
      Stationary bike, one-legged pedaling. Altho you might end up with lopsided legs!

      A video Boxing program, like Gold's Gym or Wii Sports, will burn a lot of cals.

      Lower your cals a bit to compensate for lack of exercise burn and pick it back up after you've healed.
    • Posts: 1,683 Member
      Get in the water and swim! If not comfortable in the water, get a buoyancy belt to help. All I do is swim and I'm losing weight. And I was never a good swimmer!
    • Posts: 3,348 Member
      Why can't you make it to the gym?

      I did all sorts while on crutches with a broken tib+fib - rode a motorcycle most of the time (so I could park nearer to shops work etc so less walking), I also went to a large music festival on my own.

      Consequently, the left boot I was wearing at that kinda time wore it's sole flat well before the right.

      But yes, 'CICO' still counts. Make sure you eat less calories than you burn and you'll lose weight.

      It can be harder if you feel a bit stuck for movement and are bored if you're a comfort-eater like me.
    • Posts: 1,208 Member
      Push ups (on your knees if you can't do one) x10
      Pull ups (put one leg on a chair and assist yourself up) x10
      Wall sit x30-60 seconds
      Plank hold x30-60 seconds
      Rest for 1-3 mins. Repeat x5-10.
      Thank me tomorrow
    • Posts: 927 Member
      Why can't you make it to the gym?

      I did all sorts while on crutches with a broken tib+fib - rode a motorcycle most of the time (so I could park nearer to shops work etc so less walking), I also went to a large music festival on my own.

      Consequently, the left boot I was wearing at that kinda time wore it's sole flat well before the right.

      But yes, 'CICO' still counts. Make sure you eat less calories than you burn and you'll lose weight.

      It can be harder if you feel a bit stuck for movement and are bored if you're a comfort-eater like me.
      I don't have a boot thingy, I have a splint. My parents won't let me go out of the house, which is why I can't go

      @Eat like an- I can't do anything except the pull up (maybe. I don't have a bar) because my ankle isn't stable enough to put weight on. thanks, though.
    • Posts: 265 Member
      If you don't own weights you can use tin cans or filled water bottles. There are lots of exercises you can do while lying on the floor. You can do sit-ups, leg raises, crunches, bicycling in the air while on your back, you can do the arms for boxing,and as some else mentioned, you can do chair aerobics. There are lots of ways to stay fit . The old saying goes "where there is a will, there is a way", :)
    • Posts: 319 Member
      I sprained my ankle about 7 weeks ago, thankfully I am at about 98% healed now. I was able to do water aerobics 5 days after I did it, I do deep water so my feet pretty much never touch bottom. There are some moves that move into the shallow then a run, walk or grapevine back, but I just continued whatever task in the deep end. I take these at the YMCA, my Y offers deep water exercise classes about 7x a week. Or if you have access to a pool look up some ideas and create your own routine. Good luck, I know how much it is a blow to your life let alone working out a sprain is.
    • Posts: 927 Member
      If you don't own weights you can use tin cans or filled water bottles. There are lots of exercises you can do while lying on the floor. You can do sit-ups, leg raises, crunches, bicycling in the air while on your back, you can do the arms for boxing,and as some else mentioned, you can do chair aerobics. There are lots of ways to stay fit . The old saying goes "where there is a will, there is a way", :)
      I may look silly, but I don't care. I was going to do a lot of core work. I do have lots of cans, it's just a matter of reaching them.
      Thank you everyone
    • Posts: 1,893 Member
      Getting around on crutches burns a fair amount of calories:

      http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-burned-using-crutches-a491

      When I first joined MFP I browsed through the exercise database to see what kind of calorie burn different activities accomplish. After seeing how many calories it burned, I almost had a friend talked into marketing a new work out using crutches. :laugh:
    • Posts: 927 Member

      When I first joined MFP I browsed through the exercise database to see what kind of calorie burn different activities accomplish. After seeing how many calories it burned, I almost had a friend talked into marketing a new work out using crutches. :laugh:
      Sounds like a good idea to me!
    • Posts: 27
      Do some abs and arms and lower your calorie intake.When I sprain my ankle that's what I did.
    • Posts: 927 Member
      Do some abs and arms and lower your calorie intake.When I sprain my ankle that's what I did.
      Do you lose anything? o: Inches or weight?
    • Posts: 3,348 Member
      I don't have a boot thingy, I have a splint. My parents won't let me go out of the house, which is why I can't go
      Sorry, boot as in normal army boots - I had a metal rod inserted inside the bone, so I could wear normal clothing.

      And - you're 20; ok if parents are supporting you I can understand they might want a say in your life, but still even in that situation at 16, the answer would have been "I'll see you later" as I hobbled out of the door!

      A gym also offers you the option of an hard ergometer (exercise bike for hands), though for me just crutching around burnt a good few calories it seemed.
    • Posts: 212 Member
      My parents won't let me go out of the house, which is why I can't go


      wait, wut? You're 20, how can they stop you?

      At any rate, get moving on those crutches as much as you can - it's actually a pretty good workout, because unlike regular walking, your arms are doing a lot more work. You will find that your arms are actually stronger after being on crutches for a while. Yay for strength!
    • Posts: 927 Member
      show previous quotes

      wait, wut? You're 20, how can they stop you?

      At any rate, get moving on those crutches as much as you can - it's actually a pretty good workout, because unlike regular walking, your arms are doing a lot more work. You will find that your arms are actually stronger after being on crutches for a while. Yay for strength!
      I'm 18. MFP won't let you join if you're under the age of 18 so I had to "beat the system." Thus, I live in my house with my parent. I'm a senior in high school and despite me being 18, I have limited freedom. And yay strength.
    • Posts: 599 Member
      First thing I did when my knees flared up and stopped me running, when I'd started back to exercise and logging on MFP? I switched to maintenance to give myself one less thing to fret over, while I rested (like, it has to be said, a bear with a VERY sore head... or knee as it turned out!).
      In that week, on maintenance, having gotten used to logging, and eating less, and healthier, to my surprise, I actually still lost another 1/2 lb that week!

      The way I saw it... at some stage I am going to have to learn to manage at maintenance levels- it is good practice to not go over board.
      Then again - I can pretty much get my entire day pre-logged at around my BMR and then anything on top is a bonus!
    • Posts: 1
      Hi i am in the exact same position! On cructhes for 8 weeks now and am detemined not to gain weight,
      try pilates? really focus on your abs and upp body with weights? good luck!
    • Posts: 1
      I need some tips I have a spiral fracture to my tibia it is not in a lasted cast it is in a metal frame which is drilled into my leg, I have had the frame for 10 months with at least another 6 to go, I have started to put on weight and I hate it, I used to run 2 miles a day, now I rarely do anything as falling over is an issue for me. But I eat healthy but I need to do something I've tried biking and rowing but the movement of the ankle causes infections, I'm not allowed to swim, I can walk very well, but what else can I do as I live in the country we don't have paths so walking anywhere is difficult
    • Posts: 412 Member
      I started on here in a wheelchair and I am still on crutches, curse them! :laugh: Weight loss is all about your calorie deficit, not how much you can exercise. Keep within your calories and you'll lose weight. You've had some good ideas to keep mobile though, which is important!
    • Posts: 1 Member
      It's been very strange, as someone who doesn't like to stop moving, to be on bed rest, but I've been making the best of it with some crutches workouts. You can see these here: https://nynomads.com/2017/12/week-living-hermit-now-time-broken-foot-workout/
    • Posts: 4,286 Member
      3125892372 wrote: »
      It's been very strange, as someone who doesn't like to stop moving, to be on bed rest, but I've been making the best of it with some crutches workouts. You can see these here: https://nynomads.com/2017/12/week-living-hermit-now-time-broken-foot-workout/

      threads 5 years old
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