Advice for a slob with limited mobility

[Alizarin Fionn]

Please help! I had an ankle fusion in February and I have gained about 30 pounds since then. I am still on morphine based painkiller - hence no appetite control and I am at the stage where I can now start 30% weight bearing. So I am still on crutches, about 60 pounds over weight in total, totally unfit without appetite control of any description. The morphine also creates a feeling of hunger all the time and a sugar craving but takes away the signal that tells you you are full.

I want to start exercising and need some advice on what sort of things to try. It has to be at home as I cannot get around yet.

Thanks in advance.

[Amber]

This isn't around home, but I'm wondering if you could get a friend to drive you to the local pool once a week so you could do something in the water - swimming or aquajogging or something?

Or at home, could you get some weights do some sort of upper body exercises?

And for the sugar craving - have you tried fruit (fresh and/or dried) instead of less healthy sweet snacks?

I hope you get well soon. :flower:

[physicschick]

Hi, Alizarin Fionn. I'm sorry about your ankle. :( I have some ankle problems as well, and although we're not doing this anytime soon, the eventual surgical option would be to fuse the joint. (I'm hoping that won't happen for many decades.)

I have a workout routine I made up that doesn't use the ankles. I'll try to describe it, although it's difficult without diagrams. Ask if you have any questions. I often switch the order around so that some muscle groups can rest. Also I often omit some of the ab exercises, since I have a lot of them. It lacks cardio, but I try to get most of the important muscle groups.

Boring stuff:
1. Situps.
2. Pushups. (If you do "girl" pushups on your knees, you won't put weight on the ankle. If you can do a regular pushup, you'll probably have to support yourself on your good leg and put the bad leg on top of the good one.)
Abs:
3. Leg lifts. Lie on your back with your hands under your butt for support. Keeping legs mostly straight, lift them from a couple inches above the floor up to vertical, then lower to a couple inches above the floor. Repeat.
4. Crunches. Crunch your abs to bring your shoulders off the floor--not a full situp.
5. Flutter kicks. Lie on your back with your hands under your butt for support. Keeping legs totally straight, raise one leg to be vertical and lower the other to be a couple inches off the floor. Switch legs up and down repeatedly. You'll probably want to flex your feet for this (as though standing, rather than pointing your toes.) Also works the quads due to keeping your knees from bending.
Butt:
6. Kneel on your hands and knees. Keeping your right knee bent as though kneeling, raise your right leg up behind you until your thigh is parallel to the floor and your right foot is up in the air. Pulse your leg upwards repeatedly, holding it up the whole time rather than setting it down between pulses. (Then do the other side, of course.)
7. Kneel on your hands and knees. Extend your right leg straight out behind you and raise it until your leg is in line with your back. Pulse your leg upwards repeatedly. (Same as 6 except leg is straight rather than bent.)
8. Kneel on your hands and knees. Keeping your right knee bent as though kneeling, raise your right leg out to the right like a dog lifting its leg. Pulse your leg outwards repeatedly.
Legs:
I use 5 pound ankle weights (cheap from Wal-Mart) for most of these. Some of these work even without the weights.
9. Leg extension. Sit in a chair with your knees bent so your legs hang down. Lift your feet, straightening your legs at the knees. Release. Repeat. (This one is really lame without weights.)
10. Leg curl. Lie on your stomach with your legs out behind you. Bend at the knee, raising your feet upwards. Lower but don't release completely. Repeat. (Also needs weights.)
11. Inner thighs. Lie on your left side with your legs out straight. Pulse your left leg (the bottom leg) upwards/inwards repeatedly. You'll have to arrange your right leg so it'll be out of the way when your left leg comes up. (I put the right leg forwards, in front of the left leg.)
12. Outer thighs. Lie on your left side. Flex your right foot. Turn outwards your right leg at the hip so your flexed right foot points straight up. Raise your right leg to vertical. Lower and repeat.
Arms:
I have some 10 pound dumbbells for this. You'd probably want to start with a smaller weight. I'm sure you can easily learn some dumbbell exercises from exercise videos or library books. I do kickbacks (requires some standing), curls (while seated), and lie on my back and do pushups in the air with the dumbbells.
Stretching:
Whatever you feel like. Spread your legs out in a wide V shape and lean down towards either foot. Then lean towards the middle. Put legs straight out in front of you and try to touch your toes. Basically, any stretch you can do while seated.

--physicschick

[eucalyptus]

And for the sugar craving - have you tried fruit (fresh and/or dried) instead of less healthy sweet snacks?
I second the fruit idea. Either mixed dried fruit, or fresh fruit salad or something would be a lot better. Take care of yourself. You're totally worth every effort of restraint.

[Pierre]

I second the pool. My great aunt's knees fused and she got around the house with a walker, and still with difficulty, but when she got in the pool she could walk easily without it.

[Teacherbear]

Ok, I guess I third the idea for water exercise. You could sign up for even the arthritis classes and you wouldn't get a lot of impact.

I also want to toss in that when I eat sugar, it makes me crave more sugar. The more sugar I eat, the hurgier I get - earlier. I know it is hard to get off of the sugar, but that would be one of my top priorities.

I hope you heal rapidly!

[Alizarin Fionn]

Thank you all so much. I am starting the off sugar thing immediately and physicschick that programme sounds perfect. I will also start with that slowly and build up.

I know this all sounds so obvious but when you are in the situation it is very hard to see the wood for the trees.

I think that DH would be willing to take me to the pool in the evenings when he is not working so that could amount to about 3 or 4 times a week.

You are all very kind - it is much appreciated.

[physicschick]

I know this all sounds so obvious but when you are in the situation it is very hard to see the wood for the trees.
No, it's really not that obvious. :flower: It's taken me years to collect enough ankle-friendly exercises. Also, somehow a problem with one joint propagates through your entire body until no part of you feels like moving or exercising. At least that's how I am. Take it slowly, and good luck with both the eating and the exercise.

If you want, we can work on this together, like a little support group for people with ankle problems. :) I'm in an immobilizing brace this month, and I've been really slacking on my exercises since I got the brace. Tonight I will exercise!

--physicschick

[SmallVoice]

I love Collage Video. Hop on over and take a look at special needs section. It's aimed at people with disabilities, people with back pain, seniors, etc. They have video clips so you can get an idea of what might work for you.

www.collagevideo.com (http://www.collagevideo.com)

[Amber]

I also want to toss in that when I eat sugar, it makes me crave more sugar. The more sugar I eat, the hurgier I get - earlier. I know it is hard to get off of the sugar, but that would be one of my top priorities.

That's a really good point, Teacherbear.

I've found that if I am craving sugar, then eating protein really helps as well to kill the craving. Try those little cans of flavoured salmon, or a boiled egg, next time you're craving sugar.

[Isilme]

Alizarin! Sorry about your ankle. I don't have any tips, just wanted to say that your hair and updo is very pretty!