Inevitably, runners
are doomed to get injured at one point or another. Some are seriously injured than others, but
we all get injured. And the bad part
about is that we get injured on the lower extremities! That parts we need to MOVE.
So a runner
will say, “OOOOOMMMMMMMGGGGGGGGGGGG without my legs I can’t exercise!! IMMA
GONNA GET F-A-T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Hey, hey, no
need panic. There are few things you can
still do stay in shape. Obviously, it’ll
differ from person to person and your should always consult with your treating
physician (yea, that’s a disclaimer) but here are some ideas, based on past
experience and some interweb research.
Alter-G.
The Anti-Gravity Treadmill. If you can find one and you can get on it for
relatively cheap as part of your regular physical therapy, this is your best
bet. It’s a treadmill with a contraption
that will let you run with as little as 20% of your actual weight. It's the preferred method of elite runner, Dathan Ritzenhein. (warning: he is very extreme...)
PRO: You can run.
CON: Since you run with less
weight, don’t get too devastated when you heal and you have to run slower and
feel fatter…
Deep Water Running.
Excellent for keeping your cardio vascular system, but depending on
where you are doing this, it might not be suitable for distance running. The sessions are typically in 2-3 minute
intervals which is great for sprint work, but not enough for endurance. Many runners do DWR, as it's more accessible than Alter-G.
PRO: You get to simulate running, using similar
muscles. CON: You will lose endurance.
Elliptical. This will only work if you
can put weight on your feet. There are
various versions of it, but we like the Cybex Arc Trainer the best. Without the tilting motion of the elliptical,
there’s less stress on your busted feet.
PRO: You can get a really good cardio
exercise. CON: It’s still an elliptical…
Swim is great
for keeping your leg muscles in shape and will really help build that cardio
endurance. Swimming requires you to have
access to a pool and more importantly, be able to swim. Even if you have these two points covered, it’s a bit like
running on a treadmill. You can only do
so many laps before you go completely insane. You CAN try open water swim, but that's a whole new animal. And if you are in NYC, you really don't have much access to safe, swimable open water.
PRO: Great cardio and a chance to get some upper
body workout. CON: Boredom, requires special
equipment.
Bike is another
way many runners turn to when their foot is broken. These days you don’t have to own an actual
bike to get the benefit. You can do
indoor cycling (spin class) and get excellent cardio workout. Some of these classes are insanely fun! But it’s not for everybody. The pulling action on the pedal can irritate
calves and indoor cycling relies a lot of it’s exercise on riding the bike
standing up. The stand up form can
irritate your calves, hamstring and foot.
Do this with caution.
PRO: Cardio exercise as well as great lower body
workout. CON: The type of injury you have may prevent you
from riding.
Other than
these, you can always work on your strength training. Lifting weights, core conditioning, yoga and
pilates are great ways to stay in shape.
While these activities typically do nothing for your cardio endurance,
it will definitely help with your flexibility and power. Lack of flexibility is usually the reason why
runners get injured in the first place.
And finally,
if all else fails – YES. This might be
the perfect time to go on that cleanse juice diet…or get that Lasek Surgery done…or
finally clean your oven…or any other time consuming activities that you’ve been
neglecting for the last few years!!
Injury is your time to rest, re-evaluate and reconfigure your training. And when you get better, it's time to blast off again. Onwards, injured friends. Always Onwards.
No comments:
Post a Comment