If you’re an active individual that has been slowed by a foot injury, know that you don’t just have to sit on the sidelines until your injury has healed. There are a number of low impact exercises that you can pursue while you’re working to overcome a foot or ankle injury. Not only can this help to keep you active, but this exercise is great for your health and can actually help to speed up the recovery process. With that in mind, we wanted to spotlight five low impact activities that you can pursue while you’re working to recover from a foot injury.
Staying Active After A Foot Injury
Staying active following a foot injury will help to improve your circulation, pushing healthy blood to the recovering structures, but you also want to be mindful of putting too much strain on the area and making the injury worse. That’s why low impact exercises can be your best friend, because they keep you active without putting too much stress on the injured area. Here’s a look at five low impact exercises to consider if you’re nursing a foot injury.
1. Walking – Walking is the simplest form of exercise, as you don’t need any special equipment in order to achieve its benefits. Although you are putting some stress on your feet, they aren’t being overly strained like they would be compared to activities like running or jumping-based exercises. Be careful not to overdo it, but for most foot injuries, some limited walking is preferred to laying in bed all day.
2. Swimming – Swimming is another wonderful low impact form of exercise. In the pool, your feet don’t have to handle the weight of your body like they do on land. Water also provides some natural resistance when you move your body, which helps to develop and strengthen soft tissues in your feet. If you had a recent foot surgery, make sure your doctor clears you for showering or swimming, as water can cause problems for incision sites that haven’t fully healed.
3. Elliptical – An elliptical simulates the movement of walking and even running without putting an impact on your feet. You don’t raise your feet or land on them while gliding on an elliptical, although a number of key muscles and joints in the lower body are working as if you are actually walking or running. Most gyms will have a their fair share of ellipticals to use, otherwise you can try to find one for home use.
4. Yoga – Yoga is designed to help improve flexibility and range of motion, which can be extremely helpful as you’re working to overcome a foot injury. Take a beginner’s class or look up some simple yoga maneuvers on Youtube and do some exercises from the comfort of your home. Yoga will also help to get your heart pumping and boost your circulation.
5. Cycling – Finally, going for a bike ride can also be a rather low impact way to exercise. You will put some gentle stress on your feet when pedaling, but this shouldn’t be too much to handle for most minor foot issues, although you may want to get clearance from your foot specialist if you are wondering if your feet can handle the activity. You can bike outside when the weather complies, or you can jump on a stationary bicycle and exercise from the gym or at home when conditions aren’t as ideal.