So I went on this really great hike today along a great trail up and down the delaware river - did about 6 miles and then i twisted my ankle - badly. No cell service, my husband had to walk a few more miles to find a park ranger and eventually (2.5 hours later) they found their way to me.

So here i sit with my leg up and ice on my ankle which is now the size of a balloon. This isnt really new for me, im a klutz and do this at least once a year. So i really have to take care of this so i dont have long term effects.

HOWEVER i cannot stop exercising! I have been doing sooooo good with working out and i know im going to be out of comission for a couple of weeks at least while this ankle heals. I cannot even walk on it now. Does anyone have any recommendations as to what I can do to keep the fitness side up without putting any weight on an ankle until i heal? I thought about swimming...not sure if this would work to. Or am i just out of luck

So sorry to hear about your ankle! I know how you feel, I hate to get injured when I'm OP. What about some upperbody excercises? I'm not really sure about the swimming. Good luck!

Thank you I'm so bummed about this. But you are right, maybe I will take advantage of this and do some upper body strength training...maybe even some seated yoga postures to. I just know myself and if I'm out of it for a few weeks its going to be so much harder to get back into the routine again. Thanks for that good idea!

I know too, when I sprained my ankle running, everyone told me to still run (just on a flat surface) after a 2-3 day break. My super-runner neighbor just sprained hers last weekend (and still won the race, btw) and is still running. Obviously, I am not a doctor, so don't replace my opinion with a doctors!

Aww sorry about your injury. Check this video out. I did it (didn't finish it) and was sweating so much by the end. Totally in bed!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uz2wY129PM

I'm sorry to hear about that! I hope you heal quickly. I do recommend swimming and yoga. You can swim using only your arms but don't kick your legs, you can straddle a noodle to help you.

My feet are out of commission due to stress fracture and/or tendinitis so I have to be creative when it comes to exercise. There is still a lot you can do while you wait to heal.

Sorry to hear! Focus on your core exercises. Quick crunches will get your heart pumping...along with some upper body lifting. You'll be building muscle and burning fat while your foot recovers! Avoid anything where your foot could slip/twist. Good luck!

Thanks for your replies! I actually started swimming! i was thinking about it anyway and this kind of made me follow through with it! I had a time of it getting to the pool and had to be supercareful about no slipping as I hobbled to the pool. But once in I was able to do an hour of non stop laps and it was amazing! Im almost happy I hurt my ankle!! haha

When I was in highschool and a competitive soccer player, I sprained both my ankles in between regular season and tournament (ie, when conditioning is super important!) I stuck to the pool and swimming and it was awesome!

Also, when you are feeling better and past the swollen/painful part- get a balance board or BOSU. Working with a balance board really helped strengthen my ankles a lot.

Just try to take it slow hun, your ankle does need time to heal. Swimming is good I think, and upper body stuff. Get better soon!