Maintaining activity with a broken foot

I broke the fifth metatarsal in my left foot last week and can not put any weight on the foot for at least a month. Any suggestions for workouts I can do without putting any weight on one foot?

Replies

  • FP4HSharon
    FP4HSharon Posts: 664 Member
    We ALL have Injuries & set backs which are always annoying, but the important thing is to look at what you CAN do. I was unable to work out at all for 10 months last year, due to an antibiotic causing severe tendonitis & possible tendon rupture. They didn't even want me to WALK for exercise. So I couldn't exercise, but I could watch what I ate. I also have gone through an ACL (knee) surgery & was on crutches for a number of weeks.

    Possibilities for your situation...
    Be really good w/your diet.

    Cardio...check w/the doctor & see if you can swim. You can also do upper body stuff for cardio, like a hand bike. If you don't have a hand bike, you can pretend you have one & move your hands/arms in the same motion. but remember you need to keep it up for a cardio amount of time...20-30 min usually.

    Weights/Strength Training...you can still do all your upper body, as well as the LEG of the bad foot (carefully of course), and your other leg & foot. You might have to find new exercises to do, but they are definitely out there. Check out this website if you can't come up w/any ideas for a particular muscle group. If one exercise bothers your broken foot (I know it's very painful), then try another.

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/

    Most important do NOT get impatient & start doing things you shouldn't be doing. This just usually delays healing, or may even cause a re-injury. Let your doc or physical therapist know you are motivated & want to do as much as possible.
  • czakarka
    czakarka Posts: 3 Member
    Thanks a lot for the information. I've adjusted my goals in MFP for both calories and activity. The website is helpful. I could put together my own routine.
  • Thank you for posting this. I am seriously losing my mind due to how much weight I put on by being placed on bedrest and in a boot for 12 weeks, and now finishing up PT from a car accident which fractured all of my toes and tore tendons which makes for quite the complicated situation. I lost a LOT of weight a year ago and felt great but was off from work for 4 months as of the 23rd of this month. Finally back to work now, I'm starting to get my ability to move back but I still have quite some issues after a few hours on my feet. Going to work after going to the gym makes the day very complicated because throughout my shift I begin having difficulties. I am looking to losing the 75 that I had lost from my previous diet. I was doing SO well but when on bedrest I had nothing that I was able to do. I'm not expecting to be right back at it like I was before, but I am trying to get back to normality. My neurosurgeon has told me that it could take a year or longer before the swelling subsides and that I won't be able to be the way I used to, prior to this accident. That's quite the discouraging statement, but it just tells me that I shouldn't overdo myself so shortly after getting the boot taken off. :)