As per my post in the general thread, I am stuck inside the next couple month due to a broken left fibula (little ankle bone). I have a home gym that could best be described as a bowflex wannabe. I was using it about twice a week before my accident, but almost everyday now since I can't do any exercise vertically. My normal exercises are running (usually 3 miles at a time, 3 or 4 times a week), cross country skiing, and hiking and/or power walking with hand weights. If anyone has any tips on workouts, dvd's, etc, I'd appreciate it. I want to stay in shape as best I can until I am allowed to be out hiking again.

Hi there! I'm so sorry to hear about your ankle..that sounds really, really painful. I posted on LCF a few months ago about upper body specific DVDs to balance out the stuff I'm already doing, and a lot of people suggested the arms sequence from Tracy Anderson's Method Mat workout. If I recall, most of it could be done pretty easily while sitting in a chair. Another one to consider is the Chalean Extreme series...she combines the lower and upper body muscle groups in her workouts, but you could easily eliminate the lunges and squats and just do the upper body lifting from a seated position, I think. Hope you heal quickly and best wishes!

(01-09-2010 04:31 PM)lowcarbbeliever Wrote:  As per my post in the general thread, I am stuck inside the next couple month due to a broken left fibula (little ankle bone). I have a home gym that could best be described as a bowflex wannabe. I was using it about twice a week before my accident, but almost everyday now since I can't do any exercise vertically. My normal exercises are running (usually 3 miles at a time, 3 or 4 times a week), cross country skiing, and hiking and/or power walking with hand weights. If anyone has any tips on workouts, dvd's, etc, I'd appreciate it. I want to stay in shape as best I can until I am allowed to be out hiking again.

MM,
Forgive me for disagreeing. Don't hate me. It's nothing personal. I have Chalean extreme too, and I actually don't think it would be a good choice for someone with a broken foot. I think the big deal about chalean Xtreme is specifically that she combines lower and upper body movements into the same exercise instead of working them seperately. If you try to modify it to seperate it out, you would be basically trying to undo the very thing that makes the program what it is. Also, so much of the non-weight lifting stuff is so "bounchy"--after all, she is Chalean from "Turbo Jam"--that I really don't think that would be a good investment right now. Plus, it's like 120 plus shipping.

It would be much easier to find a more traditional routine that seperates upper and lower body and only do the lower body stuff, IMHO.

Try Bodylastics
http://www.bodylastics.com

The bodylastics look cool ! A good news update - DH is picking up a new exercise bike tonight that we ordered. It will be the first "cardio" I"m allowed to do. I go to the doctor on Monday to see how things are going. I know I"ll still be on crutches at least another week, but I just have swelling - no pain that a couple aspirin can't handle. I am hoping to confirm on Monday that I won't need surgery. I'm starting to get really bummed. I did not realize till this happened how important running is to me. I will never take it for granted again. I don't know how long it will be before I'm running again, but I will savor every single moment. I am more determined now than ever to train for a 1/2 marathon.