HELP! Cardio with bunions

mysterycookie
mysterycookie Posts: 21 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I managed to lose a lot of weight on the elliptical, but my bunions are a total pain in the buns. Besides swimming/the rowing machine, does anyone have any interesting/wacky cardio ideas?

I'm trying to lose the final 10ish pounds and cutting the cals isn't really working for me. Also, anything putting weight on my toes hurts a **** ton.

HELP ME, INTERNET! I CHOOSE YOU

Replies

  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    I wouldn't call it wacky but strength training is an option.

    Check out YouTube.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    Hello from the interwebs!!

    Treat the bunions? Your local drugstore would have a number of choices
  • kn0thomeyet
    kn0thomeyet Posts: 10 Member
    Hi there....
    I feel your pain. I have bunions too. Not too bad yet but getting there. My mom's toes overlap so this doesn't bode well for me!

    But I've been walking using good running or walking shoes. Hopefully that will continue to be okay with my bunions because I have come to really love my walks.

    Anyway please share what you end up doing! We bunion sufferers must stick together.
  • megmcmuffin15
    megmcmuffin15 Posts: 1
    Bunions are the WORST! I feel you. I've had them since I was 7 or so, and they've been interfering with my physical activity since about 10 or so. Orthotics work wonders, getting custom fitted ones is the best, but if not then check out a running store. They should have some high quality ones for a pretty decent price. You want some shoes with rigidity, the more support the better.

    I had corrective surgery 5 1/2 years ago and it was one of the best choices of my life. I will always have to deal with them, and I already have a slight recurrence on my left foot, but at this point it's purely cosmetic, no pain so far. But I am going to keep wearing quality shoes with good support. A cheap pair of insoles from the drug store won't be enough.

    Also, if you ever decide to have bunion surgery, have them take the screws out once you're healed! I still have mine and they are seriously horrible. They're backing out slightly and I am really, REALLY sensitive on the tops of my feet. I usually have bruises on the screws!
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    Also, you might want to take a look at padding used for dance, particularly pointe. If you live near a dance shop, you can hit it up. If not, I like discountdancesupply.com Go to "shoes" and "pointe shoe accessories." :)
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    tumminelo complex
    cosgrove complex
  • vegwrangler
    vegwrangler Posts: 143 Member
    Ever since I started getting the dreaded bunions, I sleep with these bad lads on to help stretch out my toes --- http://www.amazon.com/Womens7-9-Mens5-7-Original-Alignment-MEDIUM/dp/B0043DVOUK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405231839&sr=8-1&keywords=happy+feet+toe+alignment+socks

    You probably need to go up a shoe size or get something with a wider toe box if something as low impact as the elliptical are bugging your feet so bad.
  • mysterycookie
    mysterycookie Posts: 21 Member
    I tried these (and stopped using them): http://www.amazon.com/Medical-Grade-Bunion-correction-system/dp/B003NWMYC4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405232479&sr=8-1&keywords=bunion

    So far, I've just been compensating for the bunions. I'm taking a yoga and swimming class currently, and may just start doing lots of that! I started walking barefoot occasionally and I take my shoes off while lifting weights at the gym (which may look dumb, but whatever - I wanna be comfortable).

    Those toe socks are super sexy, I may give them a shot! I didn't think about the dance store idea, dancers must really want to avoid having effed up feet, so I might check that out as well. I'm lightly considering surgery and I'm REALLY glad you mentioned the screws, megmcmuffin15.
  • nam985
    nam985 Posts: 140 Member
    Have you tried wearing silicone toe spacers (http://www.amazon.com/Silicone-Spreader-Womens-11-15-Mens/dp/B000KPPGE0)? They can usually be found in the foot care aisle of the pharmacy.

    Two decades of dance training has left my poor feet in quite the sorry state and I would be lost without my precious spacers! They help to hold the first toe in a better position and take some of the pressure of the inflamed joint.
  • logg1e
    logg1e Posts: 1,208 Member
    I managed to lose a lot of weight on the elliptical, but my bunions are a total pain in the buns.

    You have bunions on your buttocks?
  • GiGiBeans
    GiGiBeans Posts: 1,062 Member
    If you're not already lacing your shoes to take pressure off your bunion try it, it helps me LOTS!!! I prefer running & jumping rope for cardio.

    http://www.bunionsupport.com/2013/05/27/runner-tips-bunion/
  • kn0thomeyet
    kn0thomeyet Posts: 10 Member
    Here's an update to my earlier post. I'm happy to report that I have been walking 45-60 min per day almost every day and really loving it.

    But it wasn't easy to start. Combination of being out of shape, torn ligament in my knee from years ago and finding the right footwear due to bunions. The first couple weeks were challenging. Either my knee would hurt, or my foot would hurt, or my bunion would hurt or I simply didn't have the stamina yet or some part of my 50 year old body would creak.

    But one day I hit a happy medium where everything fell into place and now the walks are a welcome part of my day. And it has helped me lose 6 lbs so far.

    My advice : 1) Get orthodics! It will help distribute weight properly on your feet and align things as nature intended. It may also help slow the progress of bunions the more correctly your foot operates. 2) After trial and error with different kinds of shoes, what worked best for me were running shoes with good support on the sides of my foot as well as the sole. Nike Frees (which are light as air) were really comfortable but not supportive enough for a longer walk. 3) Happy accident - my bunion poked a hole in my running shoe but that turned out to be fortunate! This gave my bunion room and allowed me to use a well fitting shoe instead of going up in width just to accommodate the bunion. 3) Patience and persistence .

    Also I believe in bunion exercise. If i do them it improves my foot mobility. Check out this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrJnGXaFu78

    Good luck everyone and keep on posting!
  • mysterycookie
    mysterycookie Posts: 21 Member
    Thanks for the update! As a response to your advice
    1. I know a bunch of prosthetic and orthotic students and they're making free orthoses for my feet!!!
    2. Still working on finding a good pair of shoes. I have really wide feet and wear 4E or 6E in wideness, so it can be hard to find something that fits.
    3. I actually cut holes in my previous shoes so my bunions would have more room! But that didn't work out super well

    I won't give up though! I really love swimming :) so gonna keep doing that for now
  • Aemely
    Aemely Posts: 694 Member
    After having been treated with orthotics many years ago ($300 worth of them, egad), I found that just buying good walking sneakers in a proper width (W, 2E, or more, depending on your foot and the shoe) did the job just as well. I'm a New Balance fan w/ walking strike path to correct for over-pronation (often related to bunions). Here's a link to New Balance Walking shoes w/ motion control:

    http://www.newbalance.com/men/fitness/walking/stability-and-motion-control/

    Also, I walk a lot in my Teva Tirra's, which have a super-squishy footbed and of course are completely customizable w/ straps, to avoid any pressure on bunions. :) You can look under Teva > Men's > Sandals > Athletic to find a good option (and of course, you can ship back for free w/ Zappos if they don't fit):

    http://www.zappos.com/teva-tanza-black

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