Advice needed...

Take as much time as you need to let it heal.... there's nothing more deflating than rushing back from an injury only to re-aggravate the injury and have to start back from square one.

I sprained a muscle in my forearm about a month and a half back, as soon as I 'thought' it was starting to feel better I went back to my regular workout routine. After about 3 pull-ups, the pain returned to the point it was at when I initially injured the arm.

 

I think you probably have more than 30 - 45 min a day.

- I'm a full time instructor
- I'm taking three colllege class
- I do about 4 - 5 photoshoots each weekend.

...you have enough time you simply need to schedule what it important to you. If working out is important to you, you will do it. I went from 235lbs to 185 because it was important to me. 90% of what you wrote above are excuses.

You ankle swells up because while it was sprained you did not work it enough, so it is constantly trying to rebuild itself. Working through a certain amount of pain it good it allows your body to break down and build up. FIRST you have to get rid of those excuses you wrote above..

...lets, trying bike in the gym, and also you look a lil heavy, so I would suggest changing up your diet.

 

Yea Jaisee...but a simple sprain, two months later? Yes take the time you need, but there is a such thinking as coddling oneself.

 

True, a 'simple sprain' shouldn't even be bothering you 2 months later.

 

Thanks, Jaisee. I'm just impatient. And feel like I'm gaining weight by the minute! Lol! Actually, I have maintained, but I need to get back to working out in some way, or my clothes won't fit.

That forearm pull sounds painful. Eek!

 

Think we all know how he sprained his forearm. 4-5 times a day is sure to cause some swelling

 

Thanks for your input, Ymra, but your spanking is unwarranted. I don't recall making excuses. I simply wanted advice on what kind of exercise I can do WHILE MY ANKLE IS HEALING, and I outlined the parameters within which I can operate.

You're right: We make time for what is important. I don't want to exercise, but I need to, so I get up at 4:15 to be at the gym when they open at 5:00. I do so because that's what time works best for me and the only thing preventing me from going then WOULD be an excuse. I also have high blood sugars in the morning & working out then lowers them & sets the pace for the day. I try to fit walks in after work or on the weekend. I am also on a low-carb eating plan and have been for some time.

As I mentioned before, biking is not an option because of previous knee injuries. And swimming is not an option because I don't have the funds to join an expensive gym for use of the pool. And working through pain is fine as long as I know I am not doing further damage. Being diabetic, I especially have to take care of my feet.

Congrats on your weight loss.

 

Not sure why type of knee injury you have Chesbay, so take this with a grain of salt. I sustained an injury to my left knee when I was 15, had surgery, it wasn't something they could fully repair, and it's never been the same since. It won't allow me to do squats, jog, or use stair steppers, and regular bikes cause a fair amount of discomfort. However, my rower and recumbent bike work fine. In the beginning you would likely feel some discomfort due to adding a new movement that your knees aren't used to, but it shouldn't be debilitating. Start out really slow, like 5-10 mins a day and do that for 1-2 weeks, then bump it up by 5 mins. 5 mins a day may not seem worthwhile, but it beats not doing it at all and you'll slowly get your knees back in better shape. You don't want to work them until you have massive discomfort or you have difficulty walking, but having them feel tired and a little weak is to be expected. Working them a little each day should slowly build up the muscles and tendon strength and they'll cause you less trouble in the long-run.

You have to find the right balance between doing what's good for your body and over favoring an injury. You don't want to work it so hard that you do further damage, but you also don't want to baby it to the point that you never recover. It always hurts to rehab an injury, but a little pain now will probably save you a lot more in the long run. Not to mention weakness in the knees can lead to other issues, such as hip and back pain.

 

Thanks, Espy. This is very helpful. I believe I will try the both the recumbent bike & the rower. The rower, especially, because I'm not "bearing down" on the knee while it's bent as with a bike. I am walking easily on the ankle, but the continued swelling bothers me. While it was a bad sprain, I know I'm probably overly concerned about that.

 

In my experience, a sprain can often be worse than a break...as much as rehabilitation is needed, so is ample rest time (allowing for the injuryto heal to a point)...Rest periods are necessary following injuries, as well as non injured...IF you can Ice and heat at the right times...taking supplements can help, joint related stuff like chondroitin, glucosamine, and varies other supplements aim specifically at joint inflamtion...

 

I agree, the rower is great, as it works more muscle groups than merely riding the bike. My issue with my knee is that it will not bear weight when at an angle, for instance as it is for squats, it loses the ability to lock in place. I used to tape it, but it just didn't work well for me. I learned over the years to stop trying to treat it like it was normal as that just did more damage. So as I said, it's about finding that balance and being honest with yourself about what you should be able to do, and what you really need to avoid.

I think you're in the best position to decide that for yourself, you just have to be mindful not to baby yourself too much, as people have a tendency to shy away from things that cause them pain and discomfort. I typically don't offer advice to people because I really don't know their situation, pain tolerance, etc. A lot of people over the years have tried to offer me unsolicited advice on what I should be able to do, and frankly it pisses me off because they rarely know what they're talking about. I think ultimately the only one who knows what you are truly capable of is yourself, and sometimes the only way for you to figure that out is trial and error. A little pain, soreness and weakness is to be expected, but if you can't walk when you finish, you probably need to back off a little.

I also find that working out each day helps to keep that at bay, more so than skipping a couple days in between. If I'm sore on day 2 and I don't workout at all, then on day 3 I'm twice as sore and stiff. You also might try soaking in a hot bath right after you workout, when I was first doing rehab on my knee, they would have me do the weights and then soak in a hot tub right after, and it did help keep the soreness to a minimum.

I'm not sure what weight machines you use at the gym, but doing leg curls will help strengthen the tendons in your knee, and using the leg press will help to strengthen other muscles in your legs, which will improve overall stability. Neither of those machines involve weight bearing down on your knee joints, so perhaps you'd be able to use them? You've probably heard the saying that the best treatment for a bad back is to strengthen your abs, well for the knees you want to strengthen your hip flexors and the other muscles in your legs. You could ask a personal trainer for recommendations, but just remember that sometimes they take a cookie cutter approach and that may not work for your situation. Sometimes it's better to lookup various exercises and try them out at home to see what feels right to you.

 

You are such a trooper...

 

:smt006

 

I couldn't agree more with this. I have always used a knee support and avoided high impact exercises but you will know if you have overdone it. It is a fine balance between doing enough to strengthen but not overdoing it to aggrevate. Do what you can, rest, stretch and build up slowly.

Time is a great healer in many instances and although it hurts now, both emotionally and physically, it will get better. And to mention another great saying.. "Rome wasn't built in a day". I think this applies to the situation too. Just keep positive and dwell on the achievements you have done so far You seem to want to progress and have an open mind to try new things and it WILL happen with the frame of mind you appear to have.

 

My spankings are always warranted. I run the fitness program for the Army here are Camp Robinson, and the onlything you wrote above are excuses. If you want it, you will go get it...........and.........nothing will stop you.

Depending on your gym there should be some low impact stationary bikes, if not..........go to another gym.

You can try rowing (without using your legs) you can try , the recumbent bike, seated aerobics, (look it up) you can also try swimming wich I believe has been mentioned; however, in this case you add floaters to your legs and just use your arms and upper body.

...in any event the gym you attend, which I don't believe, will have proffesionals there who can help you. I also don't believe that in 6 months you will have moved pass the excuse stage.

After the initial swelling has gone down on a strain the way to recovery is to slowly work the ankle. If you can walk on it, you can glide on it (walking with quicker steps) if you can glide on it, you can job on it, and when you can job on it you can run on it. The biggest hurdle to over come is being "gun shy" it hurts a bit, it feels funny, but you have to do it.....stop coddling yourself, before you end up on the Biggest Loser talking about "well about two year ago I injured my ankle with a sprain"

If you haven't done anything but woddle to work, of course its going to hurt until you get used to working.

stop with the excuses and start working.

 

That rep comment was from me.......I forgot to sign it (such a silly thing to do)...but very well put.

 

Wow. READ my post, Ymra. Sometimes, there are valid reasons for things. If I were making excuses, I wouldn't be in the gym at all. I got some great feedback from the other posters which I intend to implement. As soon as I "waddle" my way to the gym.

If this is your idea of motivation, it's not working. I just find myself disappointed in you. Up 'til now, I enjoyed your posts.

 

The more you say you can't the more you won't- Michael Jordan

[YOUTUBE]obdd31Q9PqA[/YOUTUBE]

 

Oddly, you were my first guess.

At least your sense of humor is well intact.

Part of finding the balance I mentioned is knowing what to take to heart and what to ignore. You did ask for advice, and well you got it! Some good, perhaps some bad... just try it on to see what fits best.

One thing I have to disagree with Ymra on specifically is using the trainers at your gym. I would approach that with caution. They may be great, but in my experience 'personal trainers' in the average gym have about as much knowledge of personal fitness as the guy cleaning the locker rooms. At least that's how it is around here when you go to the gym. Someone who doesn't know what they're doing, or who doesn't understand your limitations, will hurt you. So as with advice here, just take it with a grain of salt and a good dose of common sense. I don't know what your personality is like, but if you happen to be a stubborn, go-getter type, don't let people goad you into overdoing it. Trust me, you will pay for that in the long run. I say that because in my experience you run into far more people who encourage you to overdo it, than you do people who advise you to underdo it. However if you do find it difficult to get motivated, a really good personal trainer can make a lot of difference. But by really good, I mean someone with actual education/training/skill in that field.

 

Oh ...not that

"I'm disappointed in you"
"I can't believe you are soldier"
"I lost all respect for you"
"I feel sorry for your children" (the remix featuring Emeniem)
"You are a horrible human being"

....can you guess I've heard these songs before?

You are making excuses sis, "Woe is you" I hear them all the time.....I do this for a living.


If you are disappointed with me now....god you would have hated me when I actually posted more.