How to Exercise With a Stress Fracture
A stress fracture is a very small sliver or crack in a bone, generally caused by repetitive motion or repeated stress on the bone. A stress fracture is common in athletes and most frequently occur in the metatarsals (foot bones) and tibia (leg bone). While a stress fracture usually takes six to eight weeks to heal, it doesn't have to keep you sidelined. With proper care and attention, you can still exercise with a stress fracture.
Instructions
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Consult your physician and find out what exercise is acceptable for you, given the type and severity of your injury. Most likely, your doctor will recommend non-weight bearing exercises while your stress fracture heals.
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Go for a swim. Swimming is a non-impact exercise, which keeps your bones from taking the pounding they would on land, which is usually what causes a stress fracture. In addition, swimming in an excellent cardiovascular and all-over body workout. Try laps using the freestyle stroke, pool running with a weighted belt. paddling with the assistance of a water noodle or a water aerobics class in lieu of your regular workout. If your gym or community doesn't have a pool, check with your city's parks and recreation department to find out what pools are accessible to the public.
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Hop on a bike. Like swimming, a stationary bike provides a great non-impact workout, perfect for those with foot or leg injury such as a stress fracture. Try using different settings like hills or intervals to vary your workout and mimic your on the ground routine. Use a bike with foot straps to minimize the impact on your feet and legs, especially where you have the stress fracture.
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Try the elliptical trainer. Like swimming and the stationary bike, the elliptical is non-impact and provides a great cardiovascular workout. Again, use hills, intervals and the random settings to vary your workouts and increase the resistance for a more strenuous workout.
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Hit the mat. Pilates, which was designed to help soldiers recover from World War I injuries, is by design a non-impact workout. Try a mat class at your local gym, studio or community center and get a full-body workout without your feet every touching the ground--perfect for those recovering from a stress fracture. Pilates is also great for developing core strength and flexibility.
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Tips & Warnings
Avoid putting any pressure or weight on your injured leg or foot.
Discontinue exercise if you feel uncomfortable or feel any pain.
