As someone who is very physically active it was devastating when I broke my foot/ankle. Boot bound and non-weight bearing left me wondering how the heck I am going to continue to exercise? Well, I am here it is 100% still possible to stay active while you are recovering from a lower body injury.
Remember to always consult your physician first
Tips for Exercising While Recovering From a Lower Body Injury
YouTube
There are tons of free videos at your fingertips that offer chair or mat workouts. These workouts are non-weight bearing and allow you to still move your body while healing. Remember to do what works for you. If something doesn’t feel good, skip it or modify! Yes, your workouts may look different and that’s okay! Do what you can.
Resistance Bands
Recovering from a lower body injury usually means sitting more. Well, even if you have to sit you can still work your upper body. Invest in some resistance bands. You can use these to keep working your upper body even while you rest. I personally love the loop bands. Oh and depending on the type of lower body injury you way still be able to use the bands to work your legs and glutes.
Hand Weights
Again, even though you may have to stay off of your feet you can still work your upper body. Invest in some light dumbells. You can get a good workout in right from your living room without getting up. These don’t have to be heavy weights, you will be amazed of how much of a burn 2lb dumbells can create.
Bodyweight
You may be non-weight bearing, but you can still work your lower body gently. If you can get down to the floor there are a number of pilates movements to help maintain muscle mass that do not require any weight bearing. If you can’t sit down on the floor, stay in your chair and check out a chair fitness video on Youtube to help you maintain your lower body muscle mass.
Nutrition
Yes, I know this is not really exercise related, but nutrition plays a big role in overall health. It’s very common that when we sit more we eat more and generally don’t make the most nutritious choices. Think about beginning to track what you are eating and how you feel when you eat. This will help determine why you are eating. You will be surprised by how much you snack out of boredom.
Bonus, nutrition can also play a role in your recovery – helping you heal faster.
No Excuses
It is easy to make excuses. In fact, your brain is hard wired to want you to be comfortable and take the easiest path, however, this is not always the best decision. Being uncomfortable is a good thing and we all should aim to do more things that are hard. This means looking for ways to keep motivated and stay healthy even while we are dealing with an injury.
Remember, your workouts will look different and you may feel uncomfortable when trying something new, but that’s a good thing! Just keep moving!