If you love exercising using an exercise bike, you may be asking yourself, can you use an exercise bike with a broken foot? This article has the answers.
Can you continue using an exercise bike with a broken foot? Does using an exercise bike when you have a broken foot pose any serious issues?
You can use an exercise bike with a broken foot, as long as you do it with caution. Using an exercise bike as you recover from a broken foot can help to boost flexibility and muscle strength, reduce inflammation, increase joint support, and speed up the recovery process.
In this guide, we will explore whether it’s safe and possible to use an exercise bike with a broken foot. So, if you have a broken foot and you are wondering whether it’s safe to continue using your exercise bike, then you are at the right place. The information we will share in this guide will answer all the questions you may have.
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Overview
Foot fractures can occur at any time. For instance, you can slip and fall when you are moving around the house or knock your foot against furniture around the house. Also, you may get this injury when a heavy object lands on your foot.
And, a broken foot can interrupt your normal routine in various ways. For instance, you may be forced to stop going to work for a while or even stop attending to some of the things you love such as gardening or other hobbies.
If you love exercising, you may also be wondering whether you can continue doing it when you have a broken foot or if you have to stop doing it until your foot heals completely. This article will delve deeper into this issue and try to answer any questions you may have.
Can You Ride an Exercise Bike with a Broken Foot?
You can use an exercise bike even when you have a broken foot. So, if you love exercising with a bike, it doesn’t mean you should stop doing it just because you have a broken foot. Riding an exercise bike is considered a low impact activity, meaning it won’t aggravate your foot injury.
The only issue that you may encounter is difficulty getting on and off the stationary bike. As long as you can get on and off the bike safely, then there’s no reason as to why you shouldn’t use an exercise bike even when you have a broken foot.
Benefits of Using an Exercise Bike with a Broken Foot
As discussed above, a broken foot shouldn’t stop you from using an exercise bike. It’s a low-impact and safe means to exercise. Also, using an exercise bike when you have a broken foot also comes with numerous benefits. They include:
Reduced Inflammation
Your body has to go through the inflammation process for you to heal from an injury. Inflammation mainly entails swelling, redness, and pain, which occurs whenever you get an injury or illness. In this case, inflammation will occur due to the foot injury. And, riding an exercise bike when you have a foot injury will help to reduce some of the elements of inflammation.
Studies show that around 20 to 30 minutes of moderate cycling exercise can help to reduce inflammation. As a result, you will heal and recover faster, compared to someone who is not exercising their broken foot.
Enhanced Cardiovascular Function
Another benefit of using an exercise bike is that it can help to enhance your cardiovascular function. And, enhanced cardiovascular function can considerably help to reduce the chances of getting a heart attack – for people who suffer from heart disease.
So, as much as you may have a broken or sprained foot, you shouldn’t be afraid of using an exercise bike. Doing so will not only help your foot to recover faster but you will also be enhancing your cardiovascular function.
Keep Your Body Active
As earlier mentioned, a foot injury can interrupt your normal routine in various ways. For instance, you may find it extremely challenging to engage in any physical activity. However, it’s extremely important to keep up with your exercise routine, so that you don’t gain too much weight.
Fortunately, an exercise bike can help you with this. Riding an exercise bike is a low-impact activity, which won’t strain you too much or even aggravate your foot injury. So, it provides a safe and convenient means of keeping yourself active, thus helping to avoid gaining too much weight.
Besides helping you to avoid putting on too much weight, using an exercise bike when you have a broken foot will also lead to increased muscle strength and stamina. Therefore, once you’ve fully recovered, your transition to your full time routine will be much easier.
Better Mental Health
Once you suffer from a broken foot, you will stop doing most of the things that you are used to. For instance, you may stop going out or hanging out with your friends and family, since the foot injury is limiting your movement.
As a result, you may find yourself spending most of the time alone. And, the chances of falling into depression during this time are quite high. The good news is that getting some exercise using an exercise bike can help to lower the risk of falling into depression during your recovery period.
Tips for Using an Exercise Bike with a Broken Foot
Without a doubt, you can still use an exercise bike with a broken foot. However, you will need to make some adjustments to ensure you have an effective but safe workout. Here are some tips for using an exercise bike with a broken foot.
Adjust the Seat Height
As you may expect, you will need to adjust the seat height so that you can work out comfortably on the exercise bike. To determine the ideal height, you will first need to sit on the exercise bike and then place the pedal for the injured foot at its lowest position. You will then extend the injured foot towards that pedal.
The proper seat height will be where your injured foot touches that pedal. Once you adjust the seat to this height, you will be able to complete a revolution without straining your injured foot too much.
Adjust the Tension
Besides the seat height, you will also need to adjust the bike’s tension. The tension refers to the amount of intensity or resistance exerted on your muscles when you are using the exercise bike.
Usually, an exercise bike will come with varying levels of tension, which you can adjust depending on your fitness levels. Since you have a broken foot, it will be highly advisable to adjust the tension to the lowest level. You can then increase the resistance and intensity levels gradually as you become more flexible and stronger.
Exercise Moderately
While using an exercise bike can help to promote faster recuperation, you need to take it easy. Long, intense exercise can aggravate the injury thus lengthening the recovery period. With this in mind, it’s recommended to exercise moderately.
Ideally, you should begin with a 10 to 15-minute session during the initial stages of your recuperation. You can then start to increase the durations by a minute per session, as you become more flexible and stronger.
In Summary
A broken foot doesn’t mean you should stop using an exercise bike. While you may have to make some adjustments, you can continue using an exercise bike. It’s a safe method of exercising and it will help to promote faster recovery. However, make sure you check with your physician before you commence.
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