Question:
Does anyone have any exercise suggestions other than walking?
I have chronic heel pain in both feet due to inflamation of my Achilles' tendons, spurs, and of course, the excess weight. After some significant weight is lost I may be able to walk more easily but at present I need a cane frequently and any substantial walking can really cause me problems. I know that everyone stresses WALKING after the surgery but I'm worried I won't be able to walk enough. Is there anything else I can do which would help substitute for some of the needed walking? — Carol M. (posted on June 11, 1999)
June 11, 1999
I have recently been doing a lot research into aquacize. You
can have an very low-impact and no-impact aerobic exercise in
a pool. Most of YMCAs run this type of program in my area.
Along those lines there is a specific exercise called water
walks. You walk in the pool. Your weight will not have any
impact on your feet.
The only thing to consider is the surgical wound and whether
your doctors says being in the water is good for the healing.
I am almost certain that after your stitches come out
there will be no problem with it.
Hope that helps!
Maddy
— Madelyn M.
June 11, 1999
Carol- it depends how many weeks post op you are. You can always do chair
exercises. But may I suggest after 2months - swimming or even water
exercise.
— Sheila W.
June 11, 1999
Hi there, I don't have any great suggestions re: the exercise
but it sounds to me like you may have plantar fascitis( I
haven't spelt that correctly!)
I suffered from the same thing and it was really painful. It
is caused by severe pronation ie,walking over on the insides of
your feet and ankles.
It can be treated really effectively. I reckon that money is
better spent on yourself than some new fangled fitness guru.
A podiatrist(I don't know if that is what you call them in the
States) someone trained to fix feet! can take a mould of your feet
and make inner soles for your shoes,this can help almost straight
away,I also had to have cortisone injections in the soles of my feet
sore,but I have never had any further probs.
This increased my mobility 100 %.
I wish you all the best, Good Luck
Fiona
— Fiona P.
June 11, 1999
Wow, if you can't walk you certainly aren't going to be up
doing what I do which is Taebo and Susan Powter exercise
videos. How about a stationary bike. You would probably
have more control of where your feet sit and not have to
move them so much. Good luck.
— dboat
June 11, 1999
Biking, Health Rider, swimming, water areobics you don't have to be a
swimmer because you can hold onto the side of the pool, the buoyancy of the
water makes it virtually painless to joints and such. All these worked for
me! I joined Gold's Gym shortly post-op and the trainers there were
fabulous when I explained I'd already lost ___ weight and what my goals
were. Any gym can design a program around physical limitations, or so can
an exercise physiologist that your doctor may be able to refer you to.
Good Luck :)
— Sherrie G.
June 11, 1999
I have severe joint pain and arthritis. The only exercise I can do is deep
water walking. It's actually more like cycling. I use a floatation belt
(bought it at a sports store) to keep my head above water in the deep end.
Some people I know just use a couple of those foam "noodles"
that little kids use. They sit astride it and cycle their legs. Either way,
with water there is no impact at all. Good luck!
— [Deactivated Member]
June 11, 1999
Aerobic exercise is very important to improve your cardiovascular system
prior to surgery as well as after. Aerobic exercise can take many forms
and controlled fast walking is one method. Swiming, biking, and even
"chair" aerobics also work. Suggest you consult an exercise
physiologist for more information on alternative forms of exercise
— Chris S.
June 12, 1999
Hi Carol,
I to had spurs o my heels and inflamation of my whole foot. I had
shots it didnt help. Then I got orthodics and quit working to give my feet
a chance to heal. And as long as I don't do long distance walking the pain
is gone. But I'm sure I can do ten min. at a time twice daily. Have you
been to a foot dr.?? Orthodics was the answer for me. If not swimming
would be the way to go.
I'll be in touch.
— Carol T.
June 12, 1999
I started walking and found that my knees really hurt and my left leg often
got numb. I told my physician (not the surgeon) and he
"prescribed" 12 sessions of physical therapy (covered by my
health insurance). The physical therapist showed me a few exercises that
are very gentle and introduced me to a few exercise machines and set them
to levels I could manage. I thought I'd hate this but I was actually
disappointed when the hour's appt was over. I told him that when I finished
therapy I was gonna join a gym and he told me not to wait. So I joined
Crunch where I found a good reception. There are a lot of "sit
down" machines that can work your legs and other parts and strengthen
them. Makes walking a lot easier too.
Right after surgery, the walking you have to do is a few short walks in the
hospital and around the house to keep blood circulating and to ward off
blood clots and other complications.
As the weight comes off I found that walking became easier and now I
actually look forward to it. That amazes me since I was the poster child
for couch potatoes
Good luck... take each step as it come and take each step easy.
Susan
[email protected]
— Susan C.
June 12, 1999
Hello,
I understand the problem with walking. I have been told I can not walk
further than 300 feet without the possibility of damaging my bones in my
feet or my knees. I was told to get into the pool and swim or walk in the
pool. I weigh 346lb and my nutritionist said that for my size I should
exercise in the water (warm) for about 20 minutes. I know it can be hard
to get ourselves out to the pool when we do not look like everyone else. I
found a group of fat people who swim together once a week. That was what
got me started. If you just need a group who will make you feel like you
have value try NAAFA. Look them up on the internet. Probably best not to
mention weight loss surgery desires. They do not support weight loss other
than for your health at your own discretion.
— Jeannette C.
June 20, 1999
Water Aerobics. It is a great workout with no impact on joints or tendons.
— Donna D.
June 20, 1999
I agree with Donna, the best exercise I've tried is water aerobics. I
tried them at my gym and fell in love (and I can't swim!). Recently I read
in the June issue of Weight Watchers that you burn anywhere from 5.5 to 6.5
cal/min and if you water jog you can burn 11 cal/min. All this and it
doesn't feel like a workout. Most of my class is senior citizens. On Wed
I did 2 hrs of water aerobics and my weight training workout and I felt
WONDERFUL! Check out you local gyms -- this is a great way to exercise.
— Edna H.
July 13, 2000
I would highly recommend water exercise for you. I started a water
exercise class about 4 weeks post-op. I started out really slowly due to
my doctors suggestion. I am now 6 weeks post-op and can move in the water
as fast as anyone else in my class. I am not usually a very active person
but I love my water aerobics class. I have energy afterwards and I don't
feel like I've been run over by a hugh truck. The water is good for
resistance and it is good for people who can't do lots of exercise outside
the water. I plan to keep on doing some form of water exercise even after
the pool is closed. The cool water feels good too during these hot summer
months here in Texas! Good luck finding something you enjoy. I think that
is the key to motivation in exercising!
— Sher A.
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