From very active to sedentary

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Pitterpatter
Pitterpatter Posts: 243 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
:frown:
due to an injury i'm unable to exercise. i'm normally a very active person from doing Insanity workouts to running 3 to 5 miles a day. i'm taking this very hard!!! i'm not sure what happened to my back but i can hardly move and i'm in so much pain from my lower back to down my left hip and leg. yes i've been to the Dr.
anyway, how can i make sure i don't gain any weight? any way i can keep my arms toned? i will be devastated if i undo the hard work that i've done!!!! :sad:

Replies

  • jgic2009
    jgic2009 Posts: 531 Member
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    If you change the settings on here to sedentary, MFP will change your intake goal.
  • abbie017
    abbie017 Posts: 410
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    Punches can really get your heart rate up. You can do tons of arm workouts without using your lower body, so stick with those to keep your arms toned.
  • mrsfoose
    mrsfoose Posts: 59
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    Pilates is great for strengthening your core and lower back, which will help ease the pain and prevent another injury in the future. Yoga is also great for realigning things that might be out of place. I have chronic back probs myself so I can vouch that this actually works. You can use what I call the arm bicycle at the gym. That will get your heart rate up and keep your arms toned.
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
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    Shake. Weight.
  • kmbrooks15
    kmbrooks15 Posts: 941 Member
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    What did your doctor say? Does the pain shoot down your leg? That sounds so much like what I felt when I had a herniated disk. I tried PT and shots (I think they made me worse--I felt better, so I wasn't as careful, and when the shots wore off, I hurt worse than before!). I ended up having surgery--wish I'd done it sooner! It was very successful for me. I still have to be cautious about certain things (how I lift heavy things, especially), but I don't have that constant pain. Is the doctor going to send you for PT? If so, ask the therapist about exercises you can do for your upper body.

    Best of luck to you, and I hope you feel better soon!
  • Enginette
    Enginette Posts: 123 Member
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    I am so sorry to hear of your injury! It is my biggest fear that I injure myself, so I can only imagine what you are going through!

    You mentioned your back was the issue...can you do free weights with your arms while sitting? This way, you are not putting extra strain on your lower back. You could do shoulder flie(or is it flys?), bicep curls, shoulder extensions, etc. to not only tone your arms, but also elevate your heart rate.

    I can understand doing Insanity myself, that nothing really gets your heart rate as high as one of those intense workouts (or running, for that matter), but considering your injury, doing something, is better than nothing.

    Best of luck to you and I wish you a very speedy recovery!
  • hbkanumalla
    hbkanumalla Posts: 61 Member
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    You can use hand weights and resistance to keep arms toned (from a sitting position). I would highly recommend focus more on lifting weights to help tone because of the after-burn you get. Also, just be conscious of what you're putting into your body. If you don't mind me asking, what type of injury do you have?
  • kmbrooks15
    kmbrooks15 Posts: 941 Member
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    Pilates is great for strengthening your core and lower back, which will help ease the pain and prevent another injury in the future. Yoga is also great for realigning things that might be out of place. I have chronic back probs myself so I can vouch that this actually works. You can use what I call the arm bicycle at the gym. That will get your heart rate up and keep your arms toned.

    Don't do this unless your doctor approves, though...you could cause more injury, depending on what is causing your pain.
  • hrobinson416
    hrobinson416 Posts: 207 Member
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    An injury is what led me to gain 50+ lbs ;-\. Just keep your food intake healthy and still keep track. Try to move what you can without hurting yourself - but if its your back it might not be a good idea to do too much. Good luck! And remember......whatever you gain CAN come back off again so dont stress it.
  • hrobinson416
    hrobinson416 Posts: 207 Member
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    She said she can hardly move due to an injury to her BACK and you guys suggest pilates and lifting weights....rofl.
  • tmiqueen
    tmiqueen Posts: 254 Member
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    I've had the same problem and can no longer run because of it. I do walk really fast instead, which doc said would burn as much, if not more, than running. It'll take a few weeks (took 6 for me) to be able to get up and moving again.

    Whatever you do, take it SLOW and listen to your doctor! Also, take FULL advantage of any and all physical therapy.

    Surgery is sometimes an option, but it can sometimes end up causing more pain than it cures.

    In the meantime, you can work your arms out doing dumbell exercises. But again, check with your doctor first to make sure it isn't going to put undue strain on your back. If your discs are herniated, it affects more than just your back...it can cause problems for your legs, shoulders, arms, and neck too.

    Currently, I am not able to do any jumping or jogging/running, because of the compression it will cause on my disks, so I have to do walking and smoother exercises. I can only bike on smooth paths (no more mountain biking). I can no longer ice skate (unless I can be sure I'll fall on my knees and not my butt). I can swim (which is PERFECT). I can DEFINITELY do Pilates and Yoga, as it's awesome for strengthening the core muscles and aligning my spine to lessen the back/leg pain.
  • damecaite42
    damecaite42 Posts: 24 Member
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    I understand the feeling of frustration- I had to stop running due to a hip and ankle injury, which I ended up having arthroscopic hip surgery for. It was tough- going from being very active to being able to do nothing. I was able to maintain my weight within a five pound range, even while being fairly sedentary, and recently have begun to lose weight again as I've been able to increase my activity level. As you said, upper body work is still an option. And if the pain continues, definitely keep working with your doctor. I started with my PCP, who initially sent me for physical therapy. When that didn't work for my hip (it did for the tendinitis in my ankle), then he sent me to an orthopedist.
  • Pitterpatter
    Pitterpatter Posts: 243 Member
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    i'm honestly not sure what the injury is. my back started off sore for a few weeks and then last Thursday the pain intensified by 100. it's really unbearable!!! the Dr did an xray and said it looked good. he said he is "suspicious" (his term) as to why i can't bend forward at the waist or extend my left leg straight out. the pain is excruciating!!! he gave my Prednisone and Celebrex. if the symptoms aren't any better in 2 weeks then he'll order an MRI. the jerk also associated this with age. i'm only 31!!! this is NOT "age" pain!!!
  • Pitterpatter
    Pitterpatter Posts: 243 Member
    Options
    i'm honestly not sure what the injury is. my back started off sore for a few weeks and then last Thursday the pain intensified by 100. it's really unbearable!!! the Dr did an xray and said it looked good. he said he is "suspicious" (his term) as to why i can't bend forward at the waist or extend my left leg straight out. the pain is excruciating!!! he gave my Prednisone and Celebrex. if the symptoms aren't any better in 2 weeks then he'll order an MRI. the jerk also associated this with age. i'm only 31!!! this is NOT "age" pain!!!

    just wanted this to be seen. thanks friends!!! xoxoxo

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