We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

Broken ankle - unable to exercise - help!

Mary__E__F
Mary__E__F Posts: 1 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all

Having a bit of a panic. I fractured my ankle during a half marathon on Sunday and am now in a cast with crutches, so unable to do my usual running, horse riding and walking. I rely on this to keep me a) sane and b) slim so feeling really crappy right now.

Has anyone had a similar experience and how did you get yourself through it? It's been 4 days and I already feel like I'm going crazy. I like my food - one of the reasons I exercise so much! - and unfortunately I like it even more when I feel down. I really don't want to pile the weight on, especially as I go on a beach holiday in 6 weeks (I've been assured the cast will be off by then, but it will likely be August before I can ride or run again, and then will have to build back up slowly)

I've put so much effort into building my fitness this year and am beyond gutted that so much of it will be lost.

Any advise that anyone can give me will be appreciated as I'm feeling quite desperate!

T.I.A

Mary

Replies

  • Clarewho
    Clarewho Posts: 494 Member
    I had a Potts fracture about 5 yes sh
  • Clarewho
    Clarewho Posts: 494 Member
    Whoops sorry about that... About 5 yrs ago. Couldn't drive for 4 mths. Exercise took much longer. Will never get full movement back. I attribute a lot of my weight problems to the inactive period followed by never getting back into the gym like I was before.

    I really sympathise. My advice watch what u eat move as much as poss and once you're back on your feet try and get as much movement back ASAP. And strengthen it! Good luck x
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    Seems like it's been going around, I've posted this link a few times already this week - https://www.google.com/search?q=chair+workouts
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I've had to nurse several injuries over the past few years...one thing you should take away from this is that unfortunately, injury tends to some extent tends to go along with rocking your fitness...it happens...it's good to have a back up plan for when it does.

    In my case, my injuries have all been to the foot/ankle as well. In all cases I was substantially hindered from performing my regular exercise.

    1 - I ate less than I normally would to counter the fact that I was moving less
    2 - focused much more energy on the weight room and upper body workouts
    3 - I found that with my issues I could use a row machine for some cardio without making things worse
    4 - started walking again as soon as I could
    5 - got back on the bike and took things pretty slow

    In all cases I did lose a bit of fitness...but one of the big upsides of being fit in the first place is that you re-gain it very fast, it's not like starting over from scratch...it comes back quick.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,360 Member
    Walking using crutches burn calories. I did a lot of that when I injured my knee.
  • DrLauraDVM16
    DrLauraDVM16 Posts: 64 Member
    2.5 years ago I was hit by a car as a pedestrian and basically shattered my right tibia and fibula. I still have a nonunion of the fibula and a poor union of the tibia, which makes high impact exercises really difficult.

    Anyway, at the time I was already a gym rat, so it didn't take long for me to get back to the gym and start doing a LOT of upper body workouts. I left the lower body stuff to my physical therapists for a long time.

    Incidentally, by triceps are still insanely strong from using crutches for 12 weeks. And rileysowner is right: walking on the crutches is a full body workout, great for cardio, and burns a lot of calories.
  • DrLauraDVM16
    DrLauraDVM16 Posts: 64 Member
    I also had friends put me on really gentle horses bareback while I was still non-weight bearing. No feet in the stirrups=following doctors orders. ;-)
  • GlassRocks
    GlassRocks Posts: 18 Member
    Have you considered some non-walking exercise? Something you could do sitting down or simply bing still. Perhaps try archery, to focus your mind and breathing?
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    Theres plenty of routines you can do with a broken foot. Think how people in wheel chairs cope. Jusr look on youtube. Obviously if you are doing resistance training then you are limited to upper body and your good leg.

    If you are in a gym then look for the krankl hand bike or the rope machine which you cnasit down to and involve using your arms rather than your legs for cardio power.

    No need to panic.

    keep your logging tight and you wont regain any weight.
    Do some exercise as above and you will maintain your fitness.

    Relax.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories