Exercises while injured

I've had repeated periods where I couldn't do my usual workouts because of injury, surgical recovery, or illness. In most cases, it hasn't been as long as you may be looking at, but the longest example - broken ankle, but not a very bad break - was not an unlimited time. It's been a while, but I think it was a couple of months of being off my usual routine. In the most recent event, I fractured my skull and caused a brain bleed in early November this past year, and couldn't do anything that required much exertion for around a month.

There have been other things, gallbladder surgery for one, but it's hard to think of the whole list. (I started being active in my late 40s while still overweight/obese, have only been at a healthy weight for going on 9 years, now age 69, so it's not that I'm injured lots, it's that I've been at this a while.)

Short form answer, TL; DR: I carefully and specifically find out what I'm allowed to do, and when I'm allowed to do it, and do that, even if it's less than usual, and do it. To me, that feels like the only reasonable answer. Being fitter has too many benefits to give up on it completely. Stressing or worrying about it just makes me less happy in the moment, doesn't make me one bit fitter. Overdoing so failing to heal properly just makes things worse, and the negative situation last longer.

Yes, some detraining happens. I'm not sure how long you've been at this so that may make a difference, but generically muscle/strength regain is faster than the amount of time it took to gain that initially.

Also - and this is not some guarantee - my understanding is that there's some evidence suggesting that if a person can work one side of the body, it has some limited benefit to the other side. I. t's called the "contralateral strength training effect." Are you allowed to do any dumbbell work with the non-dominant arm?

On top of that, ANY exercise has some muscle-retention benefits, compared to NO exercise. You'll want to be getting ample protein and overall good nutrition, too, of course.

In more detail: The first thing I do is closely question my doctor about what I AM allowed to do. Even if it's not on point to my usual activities, I'm probably going to do it. Something is better than nothing. After the gallbladder surgery, there was a period of weeks when the only thing I was allowed to do was walk. I don't usually walk a lot (bad knees), but I walked daily for a few miles. When the doc told me I could start doing daily life chores that involved lifting more than 5 pounds, which had been prohibited for a period of weeks, I asked if I could lift 5 pounds for reps. She told me to wait another week-ish, then I could. It's the only time in my life I've lifted weight with reps to boredom, instead of reps to 2 RIR or whatever.

I think that's the key thing: What can you do? What facilities or equipment or other resources can you access to do as much as you're allowed to do? I'm NOT encouraging you to push the envelope and do risky things, or go beyond what your doctors recommend. What I'm suggesting is to talk with your medical team and get a very clear understanding of what IS allowed: Which activities, what intensity, how often, all that stuff. I'm also suggesting you not catastrophize about this, or get discouraged, because that serves zero useful purposes.

IMO, in situations like this, the only choices I have are give up/catastrophize, or find out what I can do even if it isn't my usual thing, and do it. Even if the answer is doing nothing for a while . . . that's the situation, so if I let it derail me more than the required time, I'm shooting myself in the foot.

I normally work out 6 days a week, and my main thing is to work fairly hard training at a whole-body strength-y cardiovascular sport. After the skull fracture, besides the intensity limits imposed by my neurosurgeon, it was clear to me for the first couple of weeks that subjectively I could do nothing but sleep/rest most of every day . . . so that's what I did. I got back to limited intensity workouts as soon as I felt I could, and waited until the neurosurgeon told me I could go back to normal intensity/schedule before I did more.

Realistically, what was the alternative? Risk failing to heal well. That would've been dumb. Give up totally? Not helpful. Fret or stress about any of the realistically necessary limitations, give up on fitness? How or why would that be helpful?

I know this is frustrating. Don't give up. Do what you can. Prioritize healing well. (If you're trying to lose weight, eat maintenance calories during the acute phase of healing.) It'll be OK in the long run.

Best wishes for speedy healing!

P.S. ETA, apologies for this being a somewhat disorganized ramble. I'm feeling a lot of empathy and concern about your situation, because I remember being stressed about breaks in working out when I was newer to working out especially. I didn't get much sleep last night, and it's been a long day, so I'm feeling like my writing is seriously sub-par, and I'm sorry for that but wanted to say something quickly rather than waiting.

I sympathize. I’ve gone through a period of breaks, scrapes, bruises, and other issues the past year or so.

I do a variety of workouts, and that helps. When one thing isn’t possible, I move on to the next, even if it’s “only” walking.

When I broke my toe, I tried a “deep water” aquafit belt, so I wasn’t banging my toe on the pool bottom. Then it dawned on my I could swim without putting pressure on it so started swimming laps.

I’m currently dealing with arthritic foot pain. Stupidly stuoid in the great scheme of things, but still painfully painful. I’ve cut steps drastically. Swimming is fine. My trainer is working around it. I know my yoga modifications, and I have left classes where the foot pain was too much to bear at that moment.

Having a great trainer is helpful. Mine is used to me coming in with assorted injuries (Yay!Age!) and knows how to immediately adjust.

My experience with one sided workouts has not been positive, but I’m heavily yoga based and yogic philosophy is to work both sides equally.

I’ve been pig headed and done yoga with chatarungas (yoga pushups) either on one foot, or with the injured foot resting on top of the other. Or doing full positions on one side and modified on the other. All that imbalance does is give me back pain or new injuries. For me- and this is solely my experience- if I’m going to modify, I have to do the same modifications on both sides or I just risk additional injuries and slowing the healing process down even more.

I’d just suggest being mindful and listening (a lot!) to your body if you go the one side route.

What can you do that you already do that doesn’t involve hands so intensely? Walk? Jog? Sit-ups? If you’ve got a strong core, there’s a lot of mat Pilates movements you could do. Elbow planks? I focus on trying to relax my hands when I do those. What about Zumba or (my gym offers this) cardio hip hop type stuff? I have a recumbent bike I can ride without using my hands. It’s a great calorie burner.


Sorry you’re frustrated. I climb the walls when I can’t stay active.

I’m grateful, though, because there was a time in my life I was happier to lean on walls than climb them. You seem to be the same way. Cup half full!

I get you on the urgent care/ER, too. I came back from a trip to a third world country in October with badly swollen joints. I spent an hour at urgent care, two in the waiting room and one on a cot in the hallway at the ER to be told “it’s not thrombosis we don’t know what it is, you can go home”, and the only follow-up was numerous requests to complete a “satisfaction survey”. I have had $5,000+ in bills. I’m beyond pissed. That’s $1250 an hour, not including what my insurance paid. The medical bills cost more than the trip did.

Add wrist curls when you can. As Dr. Mike said, with all the progression info he gave. Supinated is good for forearm strength, let the db roll down to your fingertips then close your fist. Reverse grip too.

I’d just like to add, the fear of “going back” and losing progress is a great thing.

It shows real commitment, and that’s harder than any dietary changes or weightlifting program.

It’s that mindset and that very frustration that will help you continue to succeed.

Take that frustration and make it a positive thing.