Anyone with a injured foot still exercise?

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By injured I mean you can't walk on it or do any intense workouts on your feet.

I hurt my achilles tendon about 3 months. I went 2 months without working out because all of my workouts consisted of using my feet. Around May, it healed to the point where it "barely" hurt anymore. So I thought it was okay to start working out again. I started with light workouts, 1 - 2 miles of Leslie Sansone once a day, 4 times a week.

3 Weeks later it feels horrible and I have a nasty limp. I know I should have went to the doctor but ever since the whole Obama Care dilemma my insurance company wont even cover my visit until I spend over $3k of my own money in doctor visits. Google is my best friend now. My lesson has been learned, I wont workout on any type of injury until my body has completely healed.

I started to give up and not workout at all..again but then I reminded myself how my weight went no where for the past 2 months.

For workouts, since I can't get on my feet I'll use this time work on my upper body. I do crunches, reverse crunch, pelvic leg lifts, trunk twists, I'm learning to do "girl pushups" properly so I don't have to use my feet, dumbbell workouts for the arms and a tiny bit of squats.

If there is anyone out there with a injured foot, what type of workouts do you do?
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Replies

  • girlcalledryan
    girlcalledryan Posts: 241 Member
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    I have been using my injured foot as a bit of an excuse not to, but when I do, it's mostly abs and arms. I bruised my 5ht metatarsal, so i can squat bodyweight, but no lunges. I cannot run, so I try to get out on a bike 2-3 hours a week. I was advised by my Dr. not to go to spinning classes, and after almost a month of yo-yo progress I realised I needed to give up yoga. It's been 2 full months since my injury and it still hurts.

    I am hoping to get back to the gym to work out around my injury, ecause my wedding is in 52 days and my dress doesn't fit right now! (less than 1/2 size too small) so I need to get my s**t together.

    Would love some friends who are figuring out how to stay on plan with similar injury.
  • asdelmonte
    asdelmonte Posts: 171 Member
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    A few years ago I had a stress fracture in my foot. I replaced my 25 miles a week of running with 100 miles of cycling. It was a very enjoyable alternative.

    I don't know how cycling would affect your Achilles, though.
  • EmbraceFlow
    EmbraceFlow Posts: 19 Member
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    I have been using my injured foot as a bit of an excuse not to, but when I do, it's mostly abs and arms. I bruised my 5ht metatarsal, so i can squat bodyweight, but no lunges. I cannot run, so I try to get out on a bike 2-3 hours a week. I was advised by my Dr. not to go to spinning classes, and after almost a month of yo-yo progress I realised I needed to give up yoga. It's been 2 full months since my injury and it still hurts.

    I am hoping to get back to the gym to work out around my injury, ecause my wedding is in 52 days and my dress doesn't fit right now! (less than 1/2 size too small) so I need to get my s**t together.

    Would love some friends who are figuring out how to stay on plan with similar injury.

    You injury sounds close to mine. I can't do lunges either if I do I'll be in a world of pain. I haven't found "the perfect" workout. But I took a good look at my upper body in the mirror and looked at what I want to work on the most which is my abs and arms. I've found some youtube videos that can help me in toning my upper body. I'm hoping to find enough to combine for 30 minutes a day and that will be my workout.

    Leslie sansone abs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE0H45O_EsE
    Various dumbbell moves for arms - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU9ig8oaU6E
    More abs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i07XfEx8Gsk
  • EmbraceFlow
    EmbraceFlow Posts: 19 Member
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    A few years ago I had a stress fracture in my foot. I replaced my 25 miles a week of running with 100 miles of cycling. It was a very enjoyable alternative.

    I don't know how cycling would affect your Achilles, though.

    I don't have a bike and haven't ridden one in years. I thought about buying one but I would have no room to put it :(.
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    Swimming with zero or minimal kicks (depending on how bad the injury is) is a good workout.

    Some folks can tolerate rollerblading or elliptical work with an injured achilles...depends on the nature of the injury.
  • ClassyBrass12
    ClassyBrass12 Posts: 5 Member
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    metatarsal + cuboid stress fracture 9 months ago = 5 months no running, hiking, biking. eased into running, and now the injury has returned. just wanted to warn anyone in a similar situation that kicking in the pool WAS too intense for my foot. Don't try to push through the pain. Be patient!
  • MinMin97
    MinMin97 Posts: 2,676 Member
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    Tendinitis in right foot on top between 3rd and 4th toes....I rode my bike instead, and that worked out great!
  • MinMin97
    MinMin97 Posts: 2,676 Member
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    A few years ago I had a stress fracture in my foot. I replaced my 25 miles a week of running with 100 miles of cycling. It was a very enjoyable alternative.

    I don't know how cycling would affect your Achilles, though.

    I don't have a bike and haven't ridden one in years. I thought about buying one but I would have no room to put it :(.
    I don't have a space for my bike, either. I just leave it out, it sits outside in the sun! which works out GREAT b/c I grab it and go. Sometimes only a 15-20min ride. Used bike shops are great! I have a mountain bike, which makes for a good workout, b/c your legs work hard. Love my old bike, I've had it for 20 years.
  • Snip8241
    Snip8241 Posts: 767 Member
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    Swim. I have a surgically repaired knee and it's really all I can do now. I use short fins that float. These help my legs stay horizontal in the water, and give me more propulsion with minimal kicks.
    You will get an all over workout.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
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    If you do a little looking on youtube, you'll find lots of sitting exercise routines, many designed for folks who find standing to do exercise difficult because of bad knees and the like. Look up things like "chair aerobics" or "chair tai chi" for example.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    A foot injury is what ultimately sidelined me from running and introduced me to cycling and swimming as my primary cardiovascular work. I'm no longer injured, but I will not return to running...even a little jog will cause issues in my feet so I just stick to low impact stuff like cycling and swimming.
  • chrissyrenee1029
    chrissyrenee1029 Posts: 358 Member
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    I am currently nursing injured ligaments in my ankle. I have an appointment with an ortho specialist next week to determine just how bad it is. I can still walk, but only on perfectly flat surfaces, which is pretty much nowhere. I need to steal my son's bike for a few minutes just to see if cycling is an option for me.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    Yesterday at the gym a woman was doing "squats" on her knees, with weights. Apparently I looked baffled, because she told me she was recovering from TWO broken feet.
    From the squats she limped on and did a chest press. :-)
    I was impressed.
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,520 Member
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    Five years ago, I had surgery to remove a tailor's bunion, which is a bunion on the outside of the foot...I also had my pinkie toe straightened.

    My surgeon said 2 weeks, and I could exercise as long as I wasn't putting weight on my foot. At two weeks, I started using a recumbant bike. I didn't start running again until at least the 8 week mark. I had no issues during exercise or any long-term effects.
  • EmbraceFlow
    EmbraceFlow Posts: 19 Member
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    Yesterday at the gym a woman was doing "squats" on her knees, with weights. Apparently I looked baffled, because she told me she was recovering from TWO broken feet.
    From the squats she limped on and did a chest press. :-)
    I was impressed.

    How was she doing squats on her knees? I would totally love to learn to do that.
  • EmbraceFlow
    EmbraceFlow Posts: 19 Member
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    You guys actually make me want to get a bike even though I know I have no room for it lol. I saw these beautiful 50's type bikes at Walmart about a month ago on sale for $60 I believe, if its still there I'll buy it and make it work.
  • ulala424
    ulala424 Posts: 35 Member
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    If you do a little looking on youtube, you'll find lots of sitting exercise routines, many designed for folks who find standing to do exercise difficult because of bad knees and the like. Look up things like "chair aerobics" or "chair tai chi" for example.

    This is what I did. I sprained my knee a few weeks ago and did mostly sitting workouts while it recovered. This is one I did a lot...

    http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/no-excuses-knee-injury
  • chrissyrenee1029
    chrissyrenee1029 Posts: 358 Member
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    Yesterday at the gym a woman was doing "squats" on her knees, with weights. Apparently I looked baffled, because she told me she was recovering from TWO broken feet.
    From the squats she limped on and did a chest press. :-)
    I was impressed.

    How was she doing squats on her knees? I would totally love to learn to do that.

    That doesn't even sound possible, lol
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    You guys actually make me want to get a bike even though I know I have no room for it lol. I saw these beautiful 50's type bikes at Walmart about a month ago on sale for $60 I believe, if its still there I'll buy it and make it work.

    I've seen folding bikes that the motorhome crowd tools around on. Way spender than $60, 'tho.

    And way, way, way back in my bachelor days I had this really nice walnut bike hanger. The bike was the decoration on one of my apartment walls :-D
  • ka97
    ka97 Posts: 1,984 Member
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    I had ankle surgery in February. Nothing for the first 3-4 weeks. As soon as they gave me the walking boot - literally that same afternoon - I was back at the gym. At first I could only do seated/laying upper body exercises. I was in the gym with my boot and crutches working chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, and abs on the benches and some of the machines. After about 4 weeks I was able to transition to some seated leg machines and start swimming. Then I added the stationary bike with little/no resistance, gradually adding in resistance and time. Nearly 5 months later I'm able to swim, bike, and do most of my lifting (though I have lost notable leg strength), but not quite able to run yet.
    Not going to lie, it sucks. Do what you can to make the most of what you are able to do, even if it's just upper body. Gradually add in more as you are able, but follow doctors/pt's orders and don't overdo it - not worth it if it causes the injury to linger any longer.