Staying fit during broken leg

47Jacqueline
47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I broke my leg yesterday and will be on crutches for two months. I can't put any weight on my leg. I'm getting a lot of upper body workout, but don't want to lose the muscle on my legs - especially the broken one.

I can't bend the leg because the break is at the knee end of the tibia.

I usually go to classes, but that's obviously out. I have some light weights and I think some ankle weights.

Any suggestions?

Replies

  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    Focus on getting better and allowing your body to heal. There's absolutely nothing you can do with the broken leg that wouldn't exasperate the break further.
  • amybg1
    amybg1 Posts: 631 Member
    Nothing you can do about preventing atrophy in the broken leg, you could probably exercise the good leg with leg curls and the like as well as do core and upper body work
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
    edited October 2014
    Train your good leg on machines.

    read up on "cross-education" if you like
  • CipherZero
    CipherZero Posts: 1,418 Member
    Also, you will need to up your calories for the bones to heal; my recommendation from the home care nurse was to get more vitamin C and protein to help the healing process along.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    Also, be super careful while that leg is healing. I broke my ankle (bad chip fracture), but never went to a doctor since I thought it was a sprain. I walked on it/put pressure on it while it healed, and eventually lost partial movement in my foot because my bone didn't heal correctly. I had to go to PT to regain movement in that foot again.

    See if you can speak to a PT or your doctor to see what exercises are safe for you to do, and make sure you are 100% careful if you do get cleared to exercise on your good leg. PT was a pain in the behind and I wish I hadn't messed with my foot because of the damage that was done during the healing process.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    My orthopaedist wasn't too excited about cross-education. He said I'd have enough PT anyway and I'd get a stabilizer with a hinge in three more weeks, all things being ok. He also said I'd get a pretty good workout by keeping my leg off the ground when I walk, which is certainly what I notice in my activity tracker.
  • twopeas2
    twopeas2 Posts: 81 Member
    I'm recovering from a broken fibula, which required surgery to have a plate and 6 screws put in. I'm 11 1/2 weeks out from the break and 10 weeks out from surgery and in the last week I've managed to get onto an exercise bike and hobble around the house a bit more. About 3 weeks after surgery I took my hired wheelchair out for a push of about 3km and far out it was HARD! It made me feel so good to be on my old running path, even if I wasn't running ;) I also started the 30 day ab challenge a few weeks ago and have been doing some supported bodyweight squats and heel raises to try and get some strength back. My leg is already starting to look less like a wobbly stick and I have physio tomorrow and am hoping to get some ideas of other exercise I can do. Oh and I'm going to be starting swimming soon too.

    Don't push yourself too hard and listen to what the doctors tell you. The last thing you need is to make things worse and be out for longer.

    Good luck!
  • twopeas2
    twopeas2 Posts: 81 Member
    ps the mental side of things is so hard :( Try to keep busy and get people to come around or take you out xo

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