Help! My ankle is sprained and I don't want to gain pounds..

You can do the stationary bike and make sure to train on a hill or random program. You can swim because that is non-weight bearing activity. If you're not sure about how to make sure you are getting your heart rate up enough there are swim coaches who can help you.

Hope some of these tips help!

Your gym might have a handbike?

Also - rowing machine, lifting weights ( seated ) ( and feel free to do light weights for a whole lot of reps, get your heart up )

And crutch around like a mad person if you're on crutches.

Maybe try swimming? You might not be able to push off the wall with that leg, but the water will support your ankle. You can even grab a pull buoy (it is a foamy thing you put between your legs) that stabilizes your legs so you don't even have to kick. Most pools have them available for you to use.

besides just swimming there's water areobics and they burn a ton of calories. my local gym just started offering water zumba. so don't think you just have to churn out the laps in the pool.

I'm in a similar situation. I'm in a leg cast with a fractured foot. I haven't really been able to do cardio, but I've been doing core exercise and strength training (upper body). I wouldn't force putting pressure on it. You could make it worse. Swimming is good if it's available to you.

I bust the meniscus in my knee the day before xmas - only had surgery last week, so another 5 weeks before I can get back to full on training.....

I could / can do the stationary bike, rowing machine, xtrainer - as well as kettlebell work outs - lots of swings etc at least got my HR up - and I still did full on arms and shoulders weight workouts........

And yes - agree with Jackson - I was very careful with how / what I ate - I just said "no excuses"!!

As long as you stay at your caloric intake on MFP you will lose your goal amount of weight. You can eat all the way up to maintenance without gaining. MFP is designed for you to lose weight with no exercise, which is why it adds more calories back in when you do exercise.

That's what I was going to say.

i sprained my ankle a few times when i played rugby. you'd be surprised how many things require you to move or be flexible in your ankle joint (including biking and rowing). i pretty much took my workouts to the pool, especially using that buoy thing that you hold between your legs so you're just working on your upper body.

the krankcycle (where you just pedal with your arms ) also is good.

and you can also increase your weight training time since weight training is also somewhat cardio. for the lower body stuff, i'd only use machines since those were the only way i could keep from putting weight on my ankle and still work out those muscles.

Are there any cardio exercises I can do that will be low impact on my ankle? Better yet, no impact?

I sprained my ankle 2 1/2 weeks ago. It's feeling better, I can hobble around without the use of crutches, and when I tape it with athletic tape it feels pretty good & stable.

I'm going to have to steer clear of the treadmill for the next 3-4 weeks.



I need cardio! What can I do?



water arobics!!!!

Joe Frazier would shudder to hear boxing referred to as "upper body." If it's done standing the ankle will be tested, and boxing is no exception. That said you can work a speed bag with little or no impact to an ankle. Heavily taped the ankle could be spared punching a heavy bag but I'd find another way.

Other than the pool or lie-down pilates there's a screwy machine called the upperbody ergometer that's like a bicycle that you sit at and pedal with your hands out at shoulder height. The caloric burn is limited to the size of the muscles used to move and since the arms are significantly smaller than the legs it's difficult to get a good calorie burn using the arms alone. I'd link a pic but I bet this bot moderator strips them or will cut my post as spam.

I second what a previous poster suggested, eat less and by intake alone you can meet your MFP goals and continue fat loss. If cardio is all you're missing two weeks off won't set your aerobic capacity too much. Strength might actually benefit from some well-needed rest. We tend to work our muscles too frequently anyway.

Very interesting post. I actually sprained my ankle on Friday just gone. Usually I do at least 6 hours cardio a week. Im worried about long it will take me to recover.

I maintained my weight through 3 separate injuries all in one year - Tendonitis in my shoulder, a broken finger, and shin splints. (Shin splints are the worst by the way - I still struggle with them and can't run.) Anway, you can stick to upper body workouts and lots of core/abs, etc. Even walks with your crutches which would be a GREAT workout! My gym has a piece of equipement that is like a hand cranked bike - instead of foot pedals, it has hand pedals. Do you have access to one of these? Or, even a rowing machine, but you'll have to brace yourself with one foot.

Don't think of it as a limitation. Think of it as muscle confusion, in which you are just doing different exercises which your body is not used to. I think you may find that it is just as easy to keep your weight off by doing this, and may even make weight-loss easier.

And of course, count your calories. You may have to eat a little less or eat lighter calorie foods.

Go swimming!

Water aerobics is a good choice.

I highly recommend the Bauerfeind MalleoLoc ankle brace while you heal. I wore the brace with a pair of mid-height trail boots for over a year. I couldn't have asked for a better product.