For millions of Americans suffering from foot problems -- be it a broken bone or plantar fasciitis -- admonitions to exercise and stay fit can sound like a cruel joke. When every step throbs with pain, it is easy to just stay on the couch. With a little creativity, however, you can create a personal exercise program that not only keeps the rest of your body moving, but may also help your foot problems.
Accurate Diagnosis Needed
Make an appointment with your physician and go over your medical problems, including your foot problems. Ask your physician if there are any types of exercise that you should avoid. Get a referral from your physician to a physical therapist. Your physical therapist can help you devise an exercise program using sitting and lying down positions that will keep your body fit and may also devise foot exercises that can ease your foot pain.
Physical Therapy Exercises
One example of sitting down exercises that your physical therapist may recommend is "Exercises At Your Workstation," a PDF brochure issued by the Ontario, Canada Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers. You can perform face, trunk, back, neck, arm and leg exercises, all from a seated position. One arm exercise involves extending your arms over your head, placing your palms together and then stretching your arms upward and slightly backwards. An exercise to relax your shoulders requires you to roll your shoulders, raise them, pull them back and then drop and relax them. These exercises can be repeated three to five times, one or more times each day.
Chair Aerobics
Another way to exercise without stressing your feet is to try chair aerobics programs, usually presented on DVDs as chair dancing and chair sports programs. One example of a chair dancing program is a DVD developed by Jodi Stolove, "Chair Dancing Through the Decades," that can teach you to do seated dance moves ranging from the Charleston to hip-hop. Chair sports programs include chair boxing and wheelchair basketball. Disabled World offers an online description of wheelchair basketball's rules and moves,"What Is Wheelchair Basketball?" Even if you are not using a wheelchair, many of the chair sports and wheelchair sports moves can be adapted to any seated person.
Water Exercises
Because your body floats in water, engaging in swimming and in water exercises or aquatic therapy is a good way to keep your body in shape without harming your painful feet. The best way to exercise in water without stressing your feet is to exercise in the deep water end of the pool while wearing a flotation belt to keep your feet off the floor of the pool. Exercises that you can do include running, jumping jacks, knee bends and knee extensions while sitting in the water and flutter kicking.
References
- Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers: Exercises At Your Workstation
- Jodi Stolove's Chair Dancing: Chair Dancing Through The Decades
- Kunaki.com: Chair Boxing
- Disabled Word: What Is Wheelchair Basketball?
- National Multiple Sclerosis Society: You Can Exercise In Water
- Therapeutic Exercise for Musculoskeletal Injuries: Deep Water Exercise
