So I know I've been behind on my blogging schedule due to school, so I apologize that the posts are a little out of order, but I felt this tip really needed to be written today.
Injury is a scary thing. It brings pain, fear, hopelessness, and restlessness. When you get hurt and are confined to resting for several days or more, it can be really damaging to any weight loss progress. Not only do you not have an outlet to burn calories, you're often bored which can lead to eating more. Then after you start to heal, getting back into cardio excercise is often slow due to fear of re-injury. Getting hurt while on a mission to lose weight can really de-rail you. But don't let that de-railment be permanent!
I have been sitting on the couch for almost four days with only the TV to entertain me (I don't currently have my laptop with me). This week was suposed to be the start of my summer vacation, a week for me to concentrate on working out, eating healthy, and getting back into the swing of things. Unfortunatly I sprained my ankle while hiking, and recieved a prognosis of 3-5 days rest, 5-7 days on crutches, and 2-4 weeks of wearing an aircast and "taking it easy." Needless to say, I'm pretty grim about my chances of winning our Biggest Loser competition, especially since I know Bret has been working out at least an hour a day, and has been watching his diet like a hawk. Putting my competitive side on hold, I'm pretty discouraged about my inability to exercise. I love food! So when I'm exercising I can let myself have a little more because I know I'll be burning it off. And exercise distracts me from feeling hungry all the time. In general, being up and active and moving around all day keeps me from sitting on the couch and scarfing down all the food in my house. Haha.
Boredom is enemy #1 to me. It fuels my emotional eating. And because all I'm doing is sitting around all day, my body gets confused. It mistakes boredom and restlessness for hunger. This majorly sucks for me! I'm lucky enough that I have people who are staying with me at home to care for me, but it also makes things difficult. I can't cook for myself. I can only tell people what I want and have them make it for me. And in thier defense, my mother (who is on her weight loss journey as well) is doing very well with portion sizes and adding in plenty of fruits and veggies. But without any activity on my part, I'm still eating more than I should be.
So today's tip is for anyone who gets injured and gets discouraged, or has a longer-term injury or inability to engage in much exercise. At that moment, thats me too!
Tip 35: Exercising with injury
Click "read more" to see some awesome tips to keep active while injured, and some diet tips to keep from overeating while resting up.
Okay, so first thing I should mention is that I am NOT a doctor, and that your ability to engage in these exercises is based on how YOU feel, movement YOU have, YOUR comfort level, and YOUR safety (don't do them if they might re-injure your body!). The best thing to do would be to ask your doctor what you can and can't do, or ask them for suggestions on how to keep moving.
For leg/ankle injuries:
(you can do all of these while sitting on the couch or in bed)
- hand weights exercises
- arm stretches
- core tightening/relaxing (just focus on your abs and tighten, hold for 30 seconds or as long as you can, and then relax, and repeat)
- punches (you can do these strait in front of you, to both sides, up in the air, and across your body - like you would do in a kickboxing class just without your legs. the goal is for cardio, so do as many as you can to try and get your heart rate up)
For arm/shoulder/wrist injuries:
(you can do all of these without moving your upper body, but make sure you're careful!)
- walking! (the best thing you can do!)
- stationary bike (the kind where you can sit back and peddle, not the ones where you need to stand or lean over the handlebars)
- climbing the stairs (if you feel up to it you can try the machines, but it depends on your comfort level)
- squats against the wall (i say against the wall as a safety precaution so you don't fall)
- other leg exercises such as lunges and jump squats, etc. but as long as you have a buddy spotting you!
For back injuries and other more serious injuries, the best thing to do is ask your doctor for exercises you can do.
Diet tips:
- protein protein protein! = it'll help keep you fuller longer, but make sure you don't overdo it! for example, for breakfast this morning I has a smoothie packed with protein, and it kept me feeling satisfied for hours! (i'll have a post about smoothies soon, but this morning's smoothie consisted of frozen strawberries and raspberries, some frozen kale (yes, that icky green stuff- which should be frozen the day you buy it so it doesn't get bitter), half a cup of plain chobani greek yogurt, a quarter-up of vanilla whey protein powder, and half a cup of plain kefir. yummmm!)
- keep your meals and snacks small, and eat more often if you have to = wait at least 30-60 minutes between meals or snacks so your body has time to register the food you ate.
- fill up on fruit and salad = the longer time it takes you to eat, the more occupied your mouth will be and the fuller you'll feel. i personally take a salad with lots of lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, and peppers, with no dressing in a bowl and sit there munching at the bowl like it's a bag of chips. it keeps me busy. haha
- go light on carbs = because you're not using too much energy
- avoid too much sugar or salt
- take your vitamins = your body needs these to heal quicker!
- drink plenty of water
The best thing to do about exercising while injured is listen to your body and how you're feeling. If it hurts to do something, then don't do it! Use common sense, and you'll be back in business in no time! :)
Just Another Whale,
MyzzLyzz
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