i have recentley undergone surgery for a ruptured archilles tendon. my leg is still in a cast and i still have at least 4 weeks to go, but with all this sitting around im gaining a few pounds. i know im limited to what i can do, but has anyone got any tips for exercise at home without using my right leg at all!!!

Hi:

I can certainly relate - I've just broken my leg and face a similar problem.  Numer one is protect the injury - don't do anything that imperils the achilles.  In the bigger scheme of things the few weeks you'll miss now is irrelevant.

In the meantime you can work on strengthening your upper body with weights, and of course do a crash course for your core.  it's always good if you can work to improve something at such times.

 Good luck!

I think it's really important to just keep doimg something - it helps your whole body be healthy, which has to promote better healing.

A friend of mine used one of those muscle stimulation things when his leg was in a cast and swore by it for reducing the muscle wasteage.  does it really work?

is that the same as those things they advertise on late night tv for getting in shape?

i think it would help you not go crazy!

 

I always like to turn stuff like that to my advantage - do you have any weak areas, for example shoulders, that you can blast for a month while you can't use your leg?  it's amazing the progress you can make in a short space of time when you focus on something.

make sure you do proper rehab when the cast is off - getting the strength and range of motion back are crucial for avoiding repeated injuries.  cycling is excellent for that, you can build up strengh and ROM without weight on the area.

That's an injury with a high repeat rate - be really dedicated to your rehab.

Two weeks post surgery I'm doing weights and pull-ups every other day, and can't wait to get in the pool next week.

Sounds like you're working hard to get those endorphins flowing!

That's smart - when I had my leg in a cast a couple of years ago i spent several weeks sititng round feeling sorry for myself and eating too much - i put of 5 kilos!  It was really tough to lose it afterwards.