How to exercise with a broken foot?
To be broken is not a hindrance but does require that we improvise and work around it.
To break your foot affects you more than just the actual injury. With your mobility impaired, your sense of independence is too. So here at Fitoverit, we’ve taken some time to provide alternative exercises for those with broken feet.
Fibro-Myalgia sufferers and those recovering from injuries such as Fibula Fractures or even Stress fractures can still benefit from low-impact exercise routines to improve their overall quality of life without causing any further damage to the injured area.
The first thing we’ll cover today are some general tips and tricks regarding breaking a bone:
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Tip 1: Contrary to popular belief, it’s better to break your bone. This is because the initial treatment of a fracture can be non-invasive, unlike an injury that’s still in the process of maturing where the surgery will be required.
Tip 2: The best time for performing these exercises is during the first three weeks after the incident. Exercise too soon, and you risk causing further damage to your already injured foot.
So with that being said, let’s discuss some easy but practical exercises that you can do right now without any equipment!
1. Calves Raises
First things first, we’ll need to elevate our feet so that we’re able to work on those calf muscles without putting pressure on your broken foot. Place something sturdy like a chair under your feet and raise them. The higher, the better, but if you’re unable to reach that height, then it’s okay to be seated.
As always, when working out, start slow and steady by simply doing ten reps each foot 3-4 times a day. If it feels good for you, take it one step further by increasing the number of sets or repetitions.
2. Standing & Sitting Calf Raises
Standing calf raises are another excellent way to exercise your lower body while limiting the stress on your broken foot. After elevating yourself onto something sturdy like an office chair, grab hold of something stable in front of you for balance just in case the act of standing alone is making you dizzy! Slowly rise on your toes and go back down at a steady pace. Repeat this process for around 10-15 reps.
If standing seems like too much of a workout, then you can always opt to do seated calf raises instead by doing the same thing but sitting down on the chair with both feet flat on the ground. We’re still targeting those lower legs muscles here, so we must be careful about putting more pressure on our broken foot during these exercises.
Once again, perform around 10-15 reps each foot 3-4 times a day if starting, and slowly increase this as you feel comfortable enough to do so!
3. Resistance Bands/Tubes
What you’ll need: resistance bands or tubes, ankle weights
While different types of resistance tubes and bands will be acceptable for this routine, we’d recommend using the lighter ones so that you have more room to increase their intensity gradually. Once again, you must start slow by wearing the ankle weights for only a short period when starting. You can slowly increase the duration or weight over time as your body becomes accustomed to it.
For those with Fibromyalgia, these exercises are great because they’re easy on our joints while still helping us tone up in the process! This is also equally effective for someone who’s just recovering from their injury but doesn’t want to go overboard just yet since there’s no resistance in the band/tube at all! How handy, right?
4. Yoga & Relaxation
What you’ll need: A quiet room, a yoga mat or even a towel for that matter
When dealing with chronic conditions such as Fibromyalgia or a broken bone, Yoga is always an excellent way to keep our blood flowing without straining the body too much. Start slow and steady by inhaling deeply through your nose while going into Child’s pose on all fours on your yoga mat. Hold this position for about ten deep breaths before moving on to the next exercise!
If sitting down on the floor seems like too much of a challenge, then grab yourself a nice comfy pillow from your bed and fold it in half, so you have something cushiony to sit on during these exercises instead! Ensure to stay hydrated before performing any exercise since your body needs plenty of fluids to keep everything running smoothly.
Once you’re done with yoga, rest yourself for about 5-10 minutes on the floor and relax by meditating, listening to soothing music or closing your eyes, and taking deep breaths! You can also opt to do all of these exercises together, which is ideal if your time is limited like most people out there.
Now that we’ve provided you with some quick but effective ways to tone up without putting too much pressure on your broken foot, give them a try now! These are great routines that not only help shape our legs & calves but also help us increase our flexibility as well, so it’s definitely worth giving them a go!