Physically not able to work out?
maryanned141
Posts: 1 Member
I have a back injury from almost 3 years ago that has been affecting my every day life, including being able to be acting, including just going for a 10-20 minute walk. I'm trying to find any way that I can lose fat without having to do physical exercise as I said, I'm not physically capable of doing any.
Any tips that I can use or things to chamge in my every day life?
Any tips that I can use or things to chamge in my every day life?
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Replies
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Focus on a deficit right now. You can still lose weight as long as you are in a calorie deficit.0
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http://www.muscleforlife.com/healthy-meal-planning-tips/
Get a good meal plan going, and even stretching or some kind of yoga or really light exercise is better than sitting around like a bump0 -
There are some exercise routines designed for the disabled, the elderly and the extremely obese. Most of them are done while sitting. Even doing some weight training with 2 or 3 lb weights would help your upper body strength...
Google "exercises for the elderly while sitting". I used them for a while when I had trouble with joint pain in my lower body. You might also check in to Tai Chi. It is gentle movements. Here is one that I have done...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D7qAQ720x8
There are also some chair Tai Chi videos on youtube
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As the first poster said, if you only want to lose weight, you can focus on calorie deficit. "Dieting alone" vs "Exercise alone": dieting is wayyyyy more effective than exercise for losing weight. But it's also true that "dieting + exercising" trumps "dieting alone". I'm assuming you're having trouble because of the pain caused by the injury, and not because you're still injured. If that's the case, read on. If you still are physically injured in some way, disregard my entire reply below.
Have you tried, or heard of, graded motor activity? If you've had your back checked by a doctor and there are no more physical evidences of injury (most tissues are pretty much "healed" by 6 months), and there are no other causes for your pain, then your pain could be due to brain plasticity: nerves that fire together, wire together!
Info dump on chronic pain (ignore if this is not your case):
In really basic terms: because of your injury, your brain learned that doing certain activities will cause pain which = harm, so it learned to preemptively make you feel pain to avoid harm. But now that you're all healed up, even though no harm is being done, the brain is still using its previous framework of "this action = harm" and making you feel pain.
This vid explains chronic pain really well.
Info dump on graded motor activity (again, ignore if chronic pain doesn't apply to you):
Graded activity is basically a way for you to slowly retrain your brain into relearning that some movements aren't harmful anymore, now that the damage has been healed.
Here are the general steps:
1. Choose an activity that you can do (even a little) and that you find interesting.
2. Assess your tolerance level. How long can you do this activity before your pain increases?
3. Determine a "quota" that you will perform daily that is below your pain threshold. Ex: for you, since you can only walk maximum 10 minutes, then make your quota something BELOW 10min that you are SURE you can do no matter what (even if you are bone dead tired, even if it's rainy outside, even if the weather is too hot, etc). Let's say, for the sake of this example, you choose 6min.
NEVER go over your quota, even if you feel like you can. The goal here is to retrain your brain and nerve firing, if you go overboard and cause a flare up or an increase in pain, your brain will stick to it's chronic pain framework.
4. After a week, re-evaluate your tolerance level and see if you can make a new quota/goal.
5. If you have a flare up, try to figure out what might have caused it and what you could do to change it. Don't get discouraged if a flare up sets you back a little.
Once you're able to tolerate physical activity (because your brain has managed to rewire itself back to a more normal response), then you can move onto more of a "fitness" mind frame and work on fitness goals.
You may also want to see a health professional or a physical therapist if your back injury is so bad that it affects every aspect of your life.
Sorry for my super lengthy post. This is my also first time posting here, so I hope I haven't broken any unspoken rules about giant walls of text replies.
ALSO: YOU CAN DO IT!!!
If you need more info let me know, I'm not an expert on dieting, but I've taken classes on complex and chronic pain.0 -
I have a physical disability that prevents me from doing any impact exercises. Find a pool and get in it. Even if you are moving slow, it is better than nothing at all. Also back in 2008 I lost 30lbs sitting on my bum just by counting calories. I limited myself to 1000-1200 calories a day and the weight just went off. I also have a chair exercise video to follow. I use it on the days I can't get out to the pool.
However you can move, move.0 -
@WayOui Thank you for all that info! I'm mobility-disabled, & my doctor has asked me to stop the upper body weight-training i was doing, for now (due to some recent nerve damage). That said, it's really nice knowing that there is a possible self-directed approach to help overcome chronic pain, even if it's at a basic level. (Sure beats feeling like there's nothing I can do!) The knowledge & the video link are much appreciated.
(Also, good luck to maryanned141, i hope you can find a range of activity that works for you.)0 -
Caloric deficit is all that's needed for weight loss, but have you tried swimming?0
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Low carb is great if you can't exercise. I had knee surgery 6 weeks ago so I can't do much exercise (although I have been doing physical therapy and some strength training) - I've done very low carb and lost 20 pounds (219->197 at 6 feet).
There was a famous physician in the 19th century who treated extremely obese people. He gave them a low-carb diet and put them on bed-rest (he thought that if they were active they would eat more and lose weight more slowly)
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@Cinnamis You're welcome. Not sure if Graded Motor Activity completely applies in your case, since your doctor asked you to stop the exercise completely (unless he meant just with the weights, so the actual movement is still ok?). If you can, check with the Dr. just in case. But you can definitely use the GMA once the healing phase is over (though depending on your nerve damage type, recovery could be a few days to never back to full). Please check with your doctor! I don't want you to hurt yourself! And I'm glad I can help!
Here's a more detailed document on GMA if you're interested.0 -
missiontofitness wrote: »Focus on a deficit right now. You can still lose weight as long as you are in a calorie deficit.
This.0 -
As the first poster said, if you only want to lose weight, you can focus on calorie deficit. "Dieting alone" vs "Exercise alone": dieting is wayyyyy more effective than exercise for losing weight. But it's also true that "dieting + exercising" trumps "dieting alone". I'm assuming you're having trouble because of the pain caused by the injury, and not because you're still injured. If that's the case, read on. If you still are physically injured in some way, disregard my entire reply below.
Have you tried, or heard of, graded motor activity? If you've had your back checked by a doctor and there are no more physical evidences of injury (most tissues are pretty much "healed" by 6 months), and there are no other causes for your pain, then your pain could be due to brain plasticity: nerves that fire together, wire together!
Info dump on chronic pain (ignore if this is not your case):
In really basic terms: because of your injury, your brain learned that doing certain activities will cause pain which = harm, so it learned to preemptively make you feel pain to avoid harm. But now that you're all healed up, even though no harm is being done, the brain is still using its previous framework of "this action = harm" and making you feel pain.
This vid explains chronic pain really well.
Info dump on graded motor activity (again, ignore if chronic pain doesn't apply to you):
Graded activity is basically a way for you to slowly retrain your brain into relearning that some movements aren't harmful anymore, now that the damage has been healed.
Here are the general steps:
1. Choose an activity that you can do (even a little) and that you find interesting.
2. Assess your tolerance level. How long can you do this activity before your pain increases?
3. Determine a "quota" that you will perform daily that is below your pain threshold. Ex: for you, since you can only walk maximum 10 minutes, then make your quota something BELOW 10min that you are SURE you can do no matter what (even if you are bone dead tired, even if it's rainy outside, even if the weather is too hot, etc). Let's say, for the sake of this example, you choose 6min.
NEVER go over your quota, even if you feel like you can. The goal here is to retrain your brain and nerve firing, if you go overboard and cause a flare up or an increase in pain, your brain will stick to it's chronic pain framework.
4. After a week, re-evaluate your tolerance level and see if you can make a new quota/goal.
5. If you have a flare up, try to figure out what might have caused it and what you could do to change it. Don't get discouraged if a flare up sets you back a little.
Once you're able to tolerate physical activity (because your brain has managed to rewire itself back to a more normal response), then you can move onto more of a "fitness" mind frame and work on fitness goals.
You may also want to see a health professional or a physical therapist if your back injury is so bad that it affects every aspect of your life.
Sorry for my super lengthy post. This is my also first time posting here, so I hope I haven't broken any unspoken rules about giant walls of text replies.
ALSO: YOU CAN DO IT!!!
If you need more info let me know, I'm not an expert on dieting, but I've taken classes on complex and chronic pain.
@WayOui - Superb post - thank you!!! Holy crap, do not apologize for length or anything else. This should be stickied.
Question: How far out from injury is it appropriate to use this approach? After the acute stage? Once you're completely done rehab? What if the injury is chronic and the tissues never really healed right (e.g. tendinopathy)?0 -
http://www.muscleforlife.com/healthy-meal-planning-tips/
Get a good meal plan going, and even stretching or some kind of yoga or really light exercise is better than sitting around like a bump
What?
The OP said he was injured. You comment comes across as shaming. Exercise is not essential to weight loss.0 -
@Cinnamis You're welcome. Not sure if Graded Motor Activity completely applies in your case, since your doctor asked you to stop the exercise completely (unless he meant just with the weights, so the actual movement is still ok?). If you can, check with the Dr. just in case. But you can definitely use the GMA once the healing phase is over (though depending on your nerve damage type, recovery could be a few days to never back to full). Please check with your doctor! I don't want you to hurt yourself! And I'm glad I can help!
Here's a more detailed document on GMA if you're interested.
Aha, sorry, you answered this already So what if recovery is in the "never" to "kind of" stage, and it's a year or more out?
Oh wait you answered that too, "if still injured do not pass GO". Ok. Well, another question: what qualifies as "still injured"?0 -
http://www.muscleforlife.com/healthy-meal-planning-tips/
Get a good meal plan going, and even stretching or some kind of yoga or really light exercise is better than sitting around like a bump
What?
The OP said he was injured. You comment comes across as shaming. Exercise is not essential to weight loss.
MDs just tell you not to do anything at all, most of the time. I don't know about yoga for OP, though, yeah
Ok wait, you edited and now my reply doesn't make sense. Well, I feel that any activity (as long as it's safe) is better than none. Not for weight loss, but for general function and to stay sane. Being immobile is depressing for a lot of people. And most people can find something to do.0 -
I have my "old" injuries too. But started of with eating at a deficit.
and i added after a month 5 minutes of walking...and more walking...and longer walking because i could do it.
And more and more. The weight dropped off and walking became 30 minutes of walking with a 1 minute jog.
From there it became 10 minutes jogging and added some very light lifting ( i have a double hernia, so i am very careful) And a leg injury.
Now...I walk 3 to 4 miles every day...(60 minutes) and in those 60 minutes i have days i can jog for 20 minutes straight. I swim daily for 45 minutes. And yes there are days that my knee or back wont let me do anything at all. But at least i am fitter then 8 months ago. And 92 pounds lighter then i was
So yes it is possible for some of us Just start with your food and count the calories.
Later on you can add exercise if you want and can.0 -
I have trouble with exercise, too. Yes, I can lose weight just by counting calories, but it's very hard and very slow. Then I found a diet designed for people with blood-sugar problems like me. Now the weight is coming off at a satisfactory rate (1-2 lbs per week) and my blood-sugar problems are getting better, too. Maybe there is a diet specifically designed for your particular problems. This doesn't mean that you should try anything that comes along. Make sure the diet is based on the best scientific principles available (not just anecdotes about how this person or that person lost weight) and takes into account your particular problems. If you can't find something like that, stick to a calorie deficit.0
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@tomatoey In class, we mostly learned applying GMA in the context of a physical tissue injury that causes pain normally, but keeps on causing pain after the tissue has been healed. I'm not exactly sure how that would apply to nerve damage per se, which is why I really wanted Cinnamis to check with her doctor first.
But normally, if your recovery prognosis has been determined to be "never full again", the doctor or the rehab therapist working with you should be able to tell where you've hit your plateau in recovery. And GMA could then be used IF it applies to your situation: GMA isn't for everyone with chronic pain. It's specifically tailored to chronic pain people whose pain is so debilitating it limits them from basic activities, or a basic movement in a specific activity (which is why I suggested it to OP, since that's what they seem to be experiencing).
If you are able to go about your daily life more or less ok, and are able to do some level of physical activity, then you've moved beyond using the GMA. And should probably focus more on pain management techniques such as relaxation, deep breathing, self-administered acupressure, using a TENS machine, ice/hot packs, pain meds, etc. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can also be quite helpful, depending on the factors that are influencing your pain.
This is because once you're passed GMA and are able to perform physical activities, therapy goals are usually shifted towards increasing quality of life through management of the pain, rather than eliminating the chronic pain (because chronic pain is unpredictable and it may stay with you forever or may decrease/increase in the future, so the priority is to restore function).0 -
Thank you, @WayOui !
I do have some neuropathy, related to one injury. I have tendinosis in several areas (external rotator cuff, extensor radialis, and quad, the quad isn't as bad). I usually just try to work out around them.
I thought that radialis had quieted down - I'd rested it for ages, and let my physio do her thing (ART and electroacupuncture). It got better, as far as reduction in pain. Then I tried to lift a heavy shopping bag, and it went back to square one.
Same for the shoulder - initial injury came from swimming, it got better, and sweeping the stairs woke it up.
So these areas are fine if I don't use them beyond a minimal range of motion, with very limited intensity, and just have the pain treated.
But they never seem to get better in the sense of really regaining function, and they seem to jump back into an acute phase with minimal challenges, unexpectedly.
(I need to see my physiotherapist again ASAP, though.)
Thank you for taking the time to explain You're going to be great, when you finish
(I am hoping to try PRP next)
(sorry for derail! appreciative of your infodump ) 0 -
http://www.muscleforlife.com/healthy-meal-planning-tips/
Get a good meal plan going, and even stretching or some kind of yoga or really light exercise is better than sitting around like a bump
What?
The OP said he was injured. You comment comes across as shaming. Exercise is not essential to weight loss.
MDs just tell you not to do anything at all, most of the time. I don't know about yoga for OP, though, yeah
Ok wait, you edited and now my reply doesn't make sense. Well, I feel that any activity (as long as it's safe) is better than none. Not for weight loss, but for general function and to stay sane. Being immobile is depressing for a lot of people. And most people can find something to do.
This still doesn't justify the shaming statement (I know you didn't make it, but you responded to me. )
I couldn't live wihtout exercise, but some people can't exercise or don't want to. The former is beyond a persn's control, the second is personal preference.0 -
wanttobefit300 wrote: »I have trouble with exercise, too. Yes, I can lose weight just by counting calories, but it's very hard and very slow. Then I found a diet designed for people with blood-sugar problems like me. Now the weight is coming off at a satisfactory rate (1-2 lbs per week) and my blood-sugar problems are getting better, too. Maybe there is a diet specifically designed for your particular problems. This doesn't mean that you should try anything that comes along. Make sure the diet is based on the best scientific principles available (not just anecdotes about how this person or that person lost weight) and takes into account your particular problems. If you can't find something like that, stick to a calorie deficit.
This is interesting. I had heard that a VERY long time ago people were given insulin after meals because they believed that this would count against what they ate. So I wondered if in some small way that your sugar levels could help with weight loss. I eat sugar, can't exercise for several health issues but am trying to find just something to do. I agree that if you can get in a pool you might be able to just walk in the water since the water supports you. However depending on your pain issues even water under 90* can cause more pain. My dream would be to have a swim spa & the money to heat it warm enough for me to be able to get in it. I'm looking for something I can do laying in bed or sitting in the wheelchair just something. An ex of one problem are disk problems in my neck & low back & I have pain 24/7, when I try to do the neck stretches they taught you to do before working out to those dance tapes can trigger a muscle spasm &/or migraine just by turning you head side to side & back & forward. I would like to tray WayOui's way but not even sure what I can do to try this out. I say if we are just laying in bed all day that anything we can move is better than before. I've lost weight lowering my calories but there are no muscles. Not just my underarms wave on their own at this point. Do whatever you can & just be happy we are alive. Good luck.0
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