I am just shy of 3 weeks into this post-surgery rehabilitation period, and have another 3 weeks to go. While six weeks certainly isn’t the longest I’ve been on crutches (try 6 months!!), this is the most restricted I have ever been in terms of weight bearing activity and exercise. Despite my fears of turning into a whale… the scale has not really budged. Despite my fears of turning into a limp noodle… well, my arms are still strong! 
When an injured athlete is faced with a period of non-weight bearing activity and handed the crutches of doom, all sorts of questions and fears may arise. Will I lose all my pre-injury fitness? Will I gain weight? Will I have to start over from square one? Will I be forced to give up coffee since I can’t carry a cup?! (Because really, that’s all that honestly matters.) While each athlete will have unique circumstances, I’m 97% confident I can say the answer to each of these questions is NO. Including giving up coffee!
Steps to staying fit while crutch-bound
(1) First and foremost, get medical clearance from your physician. Check what is OK, what isn’t, and keep your medical team updated as you progress through recovery.
Assuming you’ve been given the green light…
(2) Don’t check yourself out mentally!! Even if you “love” to workout, it’s pretty dang easy to hang up your handicapped parking tag over the couch and stay there for good. And what goes better with a movie than a pint of Ben & Jerry’s…?!
Don’t get me wrong – take your well-deserved time to recover and mentally/physically recharge. But don’t get too comfortable on the couch, because you will eventually be able to get back at it again, and there is no need for you to start over from the very beginning! Instead of getting down because of what you can’t do, focus on what you can. Which means…
(3) Upper body strength: Your arms will get a head start simply from using crutches, but if you’re an athlete who is used to putting in a couple of hours a day, chances are that won’t quite cut it. Free weights can be difficult to maneuver as you need both hands to crutch, and probably shouldn’t try and grab that 35 pound DB with your pinky. Machines, however, are for the most part very doable. Push ups, yes. Pull ups, yes. (Just remember not to jump down!!) Chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps, back… you can hit em’ all.
The biggest hang up for me is that I superset all my lifts. The patience is simply not there to sit on a machine and just wait between sets. It drives me nuts!! But for the time being… I will get over it. Logistically it makes life a lot easier to take one machine at a time. If possible, try to hit the gym at a less-busy time of day.
(4) Cardio: It is still possible! Two options (that I know of… if there’s something else out there, please let me know!!): Hand cycle ergometer, and pulling in the swimming pool. Unfortunately not all gyms will have a hand cycle… but if you have access to one, I definitely recommend taking advantage of it! Forewarning: the first few times (just like when pool running) it will feel like you’re not doing anything. And/or it will feel very difficult. Possibly both at the same time. Chances are that it’s mostly mental because it’s simply not an exercise you’re accustomed to. Keep at it, and you will likely notice it starts to feel [mentally] easier, and you will actually start working up a sweat!
In terms of swimming, please make sure that any open wounds/incisions have completely healed before you get in the water!! You may be dying to get back to exercise, but not at the cost of big nasty infection. If your doctor has cleared you to get in the pool (submerged – not the same as showering!!) then hop splash to it! Assuming most readers here are triathletes, this is your golden opportunity to work on that often-dreaded portion of multi-sport. How much you can use your legs will depend on your doctor’s/PT’s orders – you may not be able to kick at all, or you may be able to do a light flutter. Invest in a pull buoy if they’re not available at your pool (usually between $5 and $10), and pull away. This is also a great time to work on stroke drills – fingertip drag, distance per stroke, single arm, catch up, rhythm, etc.
Some lower body injuries may still allow you to pool run. If you’ve been given the go to do this, and are wondering where the heck to start (or looking for pool running workout ideas!), check out two of my previous posts: Pool Running, and Pool Running Part II.
(5) Core stability: Although it will depend on what your injury was, you may very well be able to keep up your core work! Again, check with your medical team. Your regular routine may need to be modified a bit – typically the rapid, jerking movements may be best if skipped. There will also be some trial and error involved… you may find you can do planks just fine using only your “good leg”, or that Russian Twists use too much quad muscle to do comfortable.
(6) Physical therapy: This should probably be #1. If you have been ordered physical therapy, I can’t stress how important it is to keep up your exercises as prescribed!!! It may be tedious. It may be time consuming. But your physical therapists have been through four years of an undergraduate education, a competitive admissions process to their masters or doctoral program, and an additional 2 to 3 years of education. PLUS passing the National Physical Therapy Exam, as well as state certification exams. Read: they know their ****. They can determine proper exercises based on your current status, and help you advance them as you improve in recovery.
(7) Diet: No hate mail for this one please!! Truth be told, if you’re used to putting in Ironman worthy workouts every day and you’re now limited to 40 minutes on the arm ergometer, you may need to adjust your diet a bit. If your maintenance calories had been 3800… well, they’re probably not right now. Calories in = calories out… capisci?
On the flip side, if you’ve been down at that racing weight for maybe a little to long, or are one of those people who struggles to maintain a healthy weight, this could be your easy fix. If calories/eating/weight while injured is causing a great deal of anxiety, it may be worth checking in with a sports dietitian or sports psychologist for good measure.
^^ I can’t wait for the day I can get back to THIS! ^^ It was my first full triathlon (and first tri podium finish!) and I will do what it takes – even if that means being patient – to get back there! 
In terms of other crutching tips… there are a couple things I would like to add:
- Backpack. Or those nice little drawstring bags. Keep one with you at all times!
- Travel coffee mugs. Lovely reader Brynna recommends the Contigo brand because she can throw them in her bag, and they don’t leak a drop! Unfortunately, most of the [ridiculous too] many mugs I have aren’t that leak-proof. I just picked up a Thermos brand “Stainless King Travel Tumbler” at CostCo, and honestly I’m pretty sure it could withstand a bomb. Put it in your above mentioned backpack and you’re good to go!
- Remove floor rugs and their best attempts to trip you up.
- Under-arm crutch padding… OR forearm crutches. There are some nasty injury/wound pictures lying within my iPhoto albums, but I’m glad I didn’t take one of my rib cage post-crutches. Rubbed. Raw.
Being injured is never fun. Ever. But keep your head in the game, and remind yourself that this just a speed bump in your life, not a road block. Do what you can do safely, and you will be back in action before you know it!
Reader Qs:
What do you do to stay fit/sane while you’re injured? Do you have any crutch-success tips to add?
-E
*This post has been added to Train on Top archives, where you can find other articles on training, cross training, nutrition, and injury prevention.
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On my bike, that is. If someone can scientifically explain to me WHY riding your own bike on a trainer feels 20x harder than riding outdoors, or riding a spin bike, or riding a stationary bike, I would greatly appreciate it. Once I got clearance from the doc to get on the bike, I thought it would be smarter to ride my own bike on the trainer since the geometry would be the right fit.
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This prescription has truly changed my life.
