Suggestions for exercise routines after surgery? y? - Foot Problems Message Board

mkl · 07-14-2006, 04:18 PM

Before the surgery last week I used to spend an hour a day exercising....on my exercise bike ( a No-no now), doing stretching, leg lunges, crunches, push-ups, etc. Now I am just lifting light weights while sitting with my foot elevated. I don't want to have only pretty (?) feet while the rest of my body goes to pot. Anyone want to share their secrets about staying in shape while recovering from surgery?

kimann · 07-14-2006, 06:42 PM

Mariane~
The only things I know to do seated are weight lifting, (Use some smaller ones and do much faster reps to hit target heart rate), leg lifts, wheelchair walking, (good leg only), wheelchair rolling, (arms only), and walking on crutches. There was a thread on the subject with some more detail a few months ago, you can look it up. One lady gave the name of a video, I think it was called "Getting Better", that goes into seated exercise. Good luck. Kim

kimann · 07-14-2006, 06:44 PM

Or...
Maybe you could just go downstairs a couple of times each day!

jprinz99 · 07-15-2006, 02:12 AM

or you could also sit back and relax! I hear the thumb gets quite a workout flipping thru all those channels on cable!

Nobody turns into a giant blob the first few days, so enjoy (if you can) the imposed time off. Worry about getting back into a new exercise routine later. After all your arms will get plenty of workouts in the coming weeks... Then comes rehab (music plays "dum de dum dum")

jane

mkl · 07-15-2006, 06:20 AM

Kim, thanks for the suggestion about the exercise video. I did a search and it is "Getting Better" by Margaret Richards, but I can't find it at Amazon, the New York Public Library or on Google. Must be out of print. Found another suggestion in the old postings for Pilates Mat Work Video and Amazon does have that, so I may give it a try.

Jane..Rehab? WHAT rehab? I asked the surgeon about physical therapy afterwards and he said it would not be necessary. So that is what I am hoping. I am returning to Mexico for the winter a week after the second foot is supposed to be completely healed (the doc says that 3 months is usually the rule of thumb, which means I SHOULD no longer be Frankenfoot after October 26) and there is no physical therapy on the tiny Mexican island where I stay. Maybe by then I will be back to my normal exercise routine.

Will let everyone know how the Pilates Mat Work video works out.