Starting to exercise again after ankle surgery.

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odearle
odearle Posts: 2 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Back in November I had repair on my vertically torn peroneal tendon in my right ankle. I am just now to the point where I could start exercising again, but am terrified that I'll re-injure myself. What recommendations does everyone have for exercises to combine for my whole body that will also be careful around my ankle?

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  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,210 Member
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    1) Did a doctor give you clearance to exercise?
    2) Did they tell you to avoid any activities?
    3) What is your goal?
    4) What was your exercise routine before the injury?

    Btw, how did you hurt your ankle?
  • busyPK
    busyPK Posts: 3,788 Member
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    First advice, slow and steady. Look for low impact exercises. Walking is always good if you have been cleared by your doctor. I had ankle surgery years ago and starting slow and listening to my body was the best advise I got.
  • odearle
    odearle Posts: 2 Member
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    @Cherimoose ,
    The answers: 1) yes, 2) they haven't mentioned but I'm afraid to hurt it again, 3) my end goal is weight loss and toning, 4) almost non-existent. I hurt my ankle when I was walking down a hall and accidentally stepped on the side of my foot instead of the bottom. My peroneal tendon popped, tore vertically, and then folded on itself. After 6 months, they finally were able to get the insurance to approve surgery in November. Thank you for the response.

    @busyPK thank you for your response
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,210 Member
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    To prevent reinjuring it, i recommend wearing shoes with no raised heel. Over 90% of shoes have a higher heel than the forefoot, which increases twisted ankles due to the higher center of gravity and less lateral control. Examples of good "zero drop" shoes include Converse, Vans, Lems, etc. A non-spongy sole is best, with non-stretchy uppers, for better control. Whatever you get, lace them up tight.

    That said, you can start with short walks. Avoid listening to audio at first, so you can be attentive to your gait and your ankle.
    You should be able to do most strength training exercises. Follow a good program, like one from the pinned post. I would include calf raises, which can help prevent twisting your ankle in the future.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    I have a different problem with my ankle that cannot be repaired, but because of it I am also more prone to tendon injuries. You cannot start exercising without instructions from a dr or physioterapist (usually the first sends you to the second). In my case, and despite being in very good shape when I last injurred the tendon, I had to first complete a round of physical therapy with focus on strength training and balance exercises. In my case, which is not exactly the same as yours, there are lifelong restrictions, like no running or jumping, no cycling and no carrying weight, so I do a mixture of swimming, bodyweight strength training and pilates, on recommendation of my dr. But I can imagine that even though you will recover, similar restrictions apply at this stage to you, so start slowly, with low impact exercises and strengthening exercises that do not require weight lifing while on your feet.

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