Recovery from Sprained Ankle

histora
histora Posts: 287 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello,

I recently sprained my ankle (last Fri) and saw the Dr today to recheck it. Good news is the foot is not broken. Yay! Bad news is, I am stuck with this brace on for the next 5-6 weeks, and I can't do anything more than my school-related activity on it, ie doing 8-10 hour clinical shifts at the hospital. He says *maybe* elliptical or treadmill in 5 weeks if I promise to just walk with minimal incline. I can work out in the pool if I swim laps, but no water aerobics. I know, you're prolly thinking 'wtf is she even here for then?!'

I'm looking for suggestions on upper arm and cardio that don't involve footwork, and not a whole lot of gym equipment if possible. Also, when forcibly restricted from exercise, do you increase your deficit a little more than when you were active? My Dr said he was pleased with the weight loss so far, as it has been mostly diet-caused, but I want to get my metabolism revving a little harder. I already have mfp set at sedentary.

Also, how do you deal with the frustration, and fear, that being stuck off the foot causes? I'm both fearful of gaining back the weight I lost (even with a deficit) and frustrated because I had just started JM 30dS and now I'm sidelined.

If you need a laugh, I sprained my ankle falling into a manure trough cut into the barn floor. :laugh:

Advice is appreciated. So is commiseration if you have any extra.

Replies

  • meggyannpt
    meggyannpt Posts: 73 Member
    You should consider seeing a physical therapist to help with your ankle. They can help you strengthen the ankle to prevent future sprains (your risk of spraining again is much higher once you've sprained it, especially with a bad sprain). They can also help you get back to your normal exercise activities safely. Make sure you are icing your ankle to keep swelling down, and you can do things like ankle circles and drawing the alphabet with your ankle to keep it from getting stiff.

    Some gyms will have arm bikes that you can use for upper body cardio, if you are able to go to the gym. Doing upper body weight training such as bicep curls, tricep dips, push ups, shoulder raises, etc.
  • Back2Biz
    Back2Biz Posts: 67 Member
    I'm comiserating with you! I broke my foot 2.5 months ago and am JUST now getting the OK to do moderate low-impact workouts. Before I broke stupid foot I had a personal trainer and lost 20 pounds in 4.5 months - he ALWAYS preached that weight loss success is 90% Diet and 10% Exercise. So, while recovering I did NO exercise - other than daily "mother of two kids" activities and mostly stuck to my diet of 1300 calories. I gained 3 pounds in 2.5 months (but I did go to a LOT of summer picnics/cookouts and had a few weekends where I drank a teeny bit too much wine - LOL). I'm thrilled that I didn't gain more and happy that I can get back on track now. My neighbors are both Physical Therapists and they told me many times to start back SLOWLY so that I continue to heal fully and build strength and flexibility so I don't re-injure myself or cause other problems.

    Advice: Focus on your diet while you are recovering - don't push your recovery because you're afraid you will gain weight. Healing is the most important thing right now. Use this time to read up on Nutrition and researching new recipes or try going Vegetarian a few days a week or cutting out some of the processed foods in your regular diet.


    If you want to get in a little cardio at home try doing this set without resting between each one (if you're already in good shape do 20 i/o 10 reps).

    10 standard push-ups
    10 crunches
    10 tricep dips
    10 bicep curls
    10 leg lifts (lay on back - lift straight leg up then down to 2" above floor, then back up)
    30-60 second plank (or as long as you can)
    10 walking push-ups
    10 bicycle crunches
    10 supermans
    10 bench presses
    10 side leg lifts (right then left)
    10 second side plank - alternate each side
    stand in squat position and shadow box with intensity for 2 minutes (upper cut,
    Do TWO sets of above if you can


    I hope this helps you! If you need some support - just friend me. Good Luck to you!!
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    When my ankle was (badly) sprained, I was able to use the stationary bike (with no standing up) with my ankle properly taped. I did all my regular upper body lifting (chin ups, dips. seated cable row, bench press, overhead press). I was even able to do stiff-leg deadlifts.
  • histora
    histora Posts: 287 Member
    Thanks, everyone! Back2biz, your list of home calisthenics gave me a good idea of a quick workout I can do (minus squats...I know I have bad form on those!).

    MoreBean, I hadn't thought about a stationary bike. I'm going to tentatively try that out and see how that works...I love that idea!

    Megan, I'm looking into having one of the sports medical trainers from my school give me a rundown of the exercises he has his players do after a sprain. They're pretty damned good at keeping their players healthy...my best friend's husband plays touchback and hasn't had any issue with a sprained ankle he got last year.

    Again, I'd like to say thanks y'all, it really did encourage me!
  • writergeek313
    writergeek313 Posts: 390 Member
    I've had really bad ankles my whole life. In my experience, sprains are even worse than breaks, because it's hard to tell when you should rest the ankle and when you should (gently) push yourself to do a little more to help it get stronger. I second trying to get some physical therapy. Even if you only go a few times, they can help you come up with some exercises that will help you strengthen the ligaments and ensure that you don't lose any range of motion. The brace will help give your ankle more support, but it will also keep your joint immobile, which can cause it to stiffen up if you use it for too long. Good luck on your recovery!
  • pattycakes1978
    pattycakes1978 Posts: 40 Member
    I am now in a similar boat and came across this post. Thanks everyone for the good advise.

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