We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

Fellow runners: How to still burn calories with a foot injur

sufikitkat
sufikitkat Posts: 583 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
My fellow runners out there...I need some advice!

I am dealing with foot pain again in my left foot. I am going to see my orthopedic as soon as I can get a hold of them and in there so no I don't really want any diagnoses here. Simply put, I am being smart and not training this week and not pushing my limits with other options like insanity, etc. The pain began when my sneakers needed replacement and I had a half marathon planned with no money to buy new ones, so I believe the culprit is the old shoes but the ortho will tell me more I am sure.

My question is: What are some low impact HIGH INTENSITY workouts? I already do boot camp style, Flipping tires, pulling chains, push ups galore, etc but I need to keep up my endurance somehow and cannot make spinning consistently due to my schedule. Suggestions of what I can do that will keep my HR up like my boot camp workouts but NOT put me at risk of further injuring my ankle/foot right now.

And please remember: I am not looking for a diagnosis. I am already taking the precautions I need to and have new sneakers. This is a foot that I have injured in high school cheering, etc and I have it wrapped in KT tape always as well.

Replies

  • purplechic
    purplechic Posts: 15 Member
    When I injured myself (knee injury) a couple years ago (no running allowed for 2 months.. unfortunately as I was training for a half marathon!), the physio advised swimming and biking so Instead of running 5-6 days a week, I swam (usually my pool sessions were 45 mins minmum and goes up to 1 hour and a half_. Usually start off with a few warm-up laps then gradually build to really fast laps. It definitely got my heart racing and I get reasonably puffed doing it. Your HR will be lower in water (temperature lower) but I believe that you will get a good workout with no impact at all, provided you go hard.

    I then ran the half marathon two months later. Did a lot better than what I'd thought without doing any running prior!

    That said, I found swimming boring as hell and part of getting through the workout was challenging mentally as well.

    Get well soon!
  • sufikitkat
    sufikitkat Posts: 583 Member
    Thanks for the advice! I unfortunately don't have access to a pool though. i used to swim competitively so I do wish I did!!
  • piperjon
    piperjon Posts: 157 Member
    Look up ShovelGlove (shovelglove.com)

    In December I was injured while running, MVA vs ped, and broke my foot in three places.
    After about two weeks of moping, I found shovelglove, which is a workout using a sledgehammer as an offset weight.
    It's as intense or lame as you want to make it, and very customizeable. And very core intensive.

    I did it with my broken foot in a primarily heel-down position.

    Later, I added shadowboxing, which I could also do with a heel-planted position. Yes, my form suffered, but it was still nicely aerobic. Then I added weighted gloves, now 2lbs each.

    Now that I'm back to running (C25K week2, day 3, today), I still do shovelgloving and shadowboxing, fairly randomly to keep my body guessing. Also do weighted-sword tai-chi and standard tai-chi and tai-chi sword, but of course there's nothing intense about those, only graceful movement and peaceful feelings. Oooomm....

    Point being, be creative, and make it up as you go along. :-) Break rules, be defiant.

    Pj
  • sufikitkat
    sufikitkat Posts: 583 Member
    thanks for the tip!!! I use sledgehammers on tires at my gym so that is definitely an option.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories