Struggling after bad injury

[Rock Ape]

I am a 31 year old infantryman serving in the Royal Air Force Regiment, a couple of years ago I badly broke my left foot and ankle in a Tae Kwon do fight.  I was unable to do a great deal for a while after what with the physio etc.

Becacause i have been struggling to gain my old self back, and the weight gain! it has given me a real knock to my confidence and motivation.  Has anyone else experienced the same sort of thing, and how did you manage to break out of the rut??  I would really appreciate any advice or tips on how to get fighting fit again!

I am new to this really awesome community and am really excited about being a caveman!

An apple a day...............

[Tony Bondioli]

Just knowing that you're in "the rut" and believing there's a way out of it is half the battle, bro.  Start where you are, and go from there.  Others have done it... so can you.  The founder of this site and leader of "the tribe," Matt Emery, has a fused hip due to a past injury, yet he's managed to achieve and maintain an incredible level of fitness and well-being.

Welcome to the tribe, and keep us posted.   

[BigKhanz]

Welcome!!!!

I really know how the injuries can set you back. In the last 8 yrs I've broken my left arm at the bicep, my right elbow(multiple surgeries), ripped three ribs off my sternum, torn my right oblique, had dozens of broken bones in my hands, fingers, feet, and toes, and 13 stress fractures in both my legs. (That's just the major injuries)

I made it through all that though, and now I'm in unbelievable shape. You can overcome too, you just have to want it.

[Rock Ape]

  Thanks very musch for the replies, this is real ispiration!!!

Does anybody have any excersises that will blast away my post injury fat?
Any tips would be greatfully recieved by the new boy!!
The whole caveman way of life is a new thing for me, and i am proud to be part of this great family

 

[Tony Bondioli]

Well, there's "weight loss," and there's "fat loss."  I'm glad you specified that you're interested in losing fat, but I'm not sure what you're hoping for when you say "blast away."

Dramatic weight loss can occur very rapidly (5 or more pounds per week), but is usually achieved via semi-starvation, dehydration, and the use of potentially dangerous metabolic enhancement supplements.  Most of the weight lost in this fashion is muscle and water.

Healthy fat loss, on the other hand, happens a bit more slowly (up to 1-2 pounds per week... any more than this, and you're losing more than just fat), and is achieved via healthy nutrition and regular exercise.  I generally advocate a regimen of "mixed cardio" (brisk walking, sprinting, heavy bag work, jumping rope, bicycling, etc., based on the individual's abilities and interests), and functional--mostly bodyweight-based--strength training (various pushups, pullups, squats/lunges, neck bridging, core work, etc., and additional compound lifting movements, if desired).  Depending on the limitations imposed by your injury, choose activities that you most enjoy, start off easy, and get into the habit of moving your body in some way, every day.  As your health and fitness levels improve, you'll find yourself willing and able to do more and more.

You're a soldier and a martial artist, so I'm sure none of this is really "new" to you, but it's been my experience that it sometimes helps to be reminded of the basic truths of fitness, from time to time.  Like BK said, you can overcome your challenges if you want to badly enough.  Just TAKE IT EASY at first, work within your limits, and get up and do it again the next day.  And the next.  And the next.  And the next.  And...

The only decision you'll regret is doing nothing.

[BigKhanz]

I'll give you a whole workout plan if you like. I know how the comeback can be disheartening. Exactly what are your limitations? What equipment or facilities doesyou have access to? What are your goals? Let me know and I can put something together for you.

[muladzh]

Two years ago, a Royal Enfield Bullet managed to break two bones in my foot, and three in my ankle. It took about eight months to repair fully, and the enforced mobility restrictions made fat stick to me. Two hours daily on my Bowflex exerciser, as well as isometric resistant exercise ( the art of standing still, with muscles extended, for long periods of time. Can be done at work and nobody knows you are doing it.), brought the body under control in a further 4 months.

The way my foot and ankle was broken convinced me that trying to kick start a 500 cc single, in sandals, is not a clever idea - the timing was out, the bike objected and threw me - my sandal ended up forty feet away.