Need help compiling list of exercises I can do in a chair- post surgery

[flamingoo]

Hi everyone. This is a follow up to my " Cyber Hugs" thread. I need help finding workouts I can do post surgery ( and much rest) I won't be able to put weight on my foot, but will be able to stand with one knee on a chair or sit down. I'm looking for upper body and ab suggestions. I'm also looking for creative ways to sit, but still be able to some how work my legs( maybe ball/ring squeezes?) Thanks everyone! I'm kind of over whelmed with the surgery right now and don't have tuns of time to go through all my dvds, but my wonderful 14 year old is helping me come up with a spread sheet so any recommendations I can easily keep track of. I'm all ears for any good books as well.

[dutchgirl]

Cathe's live senior workout used a chair. If I'm recalling correctly, some of the participants do the whole workout seated.

There are also the Sit and Be Fit dvds. And Petra Kolber has a strength dvd that's done using a chair, Step by step strength.

[DawnP]

I wish you all the best and hope you heal quickly.

Jessica Smith has some great YouTube workouts that I've done when I had foot injuries. chair cardio & strength is 38 min long, 24min of cardio incorporating toning moves and 14min of strength moves all done entirely while seated. It's surprisingly tough and I work up a great sweat.

Same for her 10min seated chair stretch.

She also has a 10min chair abs workout.

I just downloaded Linda Wooldridge's 32min Barlates Total Body Chair workout and it has some even more challenging chair cardio moves. However, it looks like some of her moves invlove standing from the chair for some moves, so you might have to skip parts of it.

I have my fingers crossed for you!

[mwelters]

This couldn't be more timely for me. I just had bunion surgery on my left foot and hope to start some kind of exercise program next week. Thank you all for your suggestions.

[at120]

I know that this may not be exactly what you want, but you can always use an arm bike / arm cycle while you re-cooperate. Boring, but you can always zone out and put the ear buds in.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MagneTrainer...item20fbfe954e

[Demeris]

They might be a little too basic and too pitched to a senior audience, but Dutchgirl pointed out the whole Sit and Be fit program, and Susan Tuttle has a number of sitting workouts.

Karen Voight has a senior workout that is mostly sitting, as does Margaret Richards (I like the KV one better than the MR one. MR spends too much time talking in hers and not enough time working out).

[andtckrtoo]

I've had a broken ankle, knee surgery and a broken toe - one a year for the last 3 years... Joy. So, here are some things I learned.

1. You will need some time after surgery to just heal. So don't panic and remember to give yourself the time. Your body burns a ton of calories just trying to deal with the pain and working it's magic on fusing things, etc. It's okay. One day you'll wake up feeling antsy and wanting to move, that's when you do, not simply because you feel you should. You will hurt yourself in the long run.

2. I've found Tracy Anderson's arms and weighted arms great for just getting movement. They can be done seated, even her standing abs can be done seated (until the hip movements, but just do more upper body movements). I really like her Mat workout for arms - so much slower and more controlled. Precision Toning is good, too. When you are more stable and can put a little weight on your foot, sitting on a stability ball (if you feel comfortable) can help, too. I actually ended up dropping 20 pounds after knee surgery by doing Tracy.

3. HDM is the same - his hi reps (unending... ) get my heart rate up higher than heavy lifting. So they have a cardio component.

3. And if there is a particular workout you really want to do, watch it and think about modifications. Many are modifiable. Even Cathe's boxing workouts can be modified if you want to get creative. I found the sitting workouts to be way to beginner for me, so I ended up modifying the ones I liked more often.

[eam531]

Originally Posted by flamingoo

Hi everyone. This is a follow up to my " Cyber Hugs" thread. I need help finding workouts I can do post surgery ( and much rest) I won't be able to put weight on my foot, but will be able to stand with one knee on a chair or sit down. I'm looking for upper body and ab suggestions. I'm also looking for creative ways to sit, but still be able to some how work my legs( maybe ball/ring squeezes?) Thanks everyone! I'm kind of over whelmed with the surgery right now and don't have tuns of time to go through all my dvds, but my wonderful 14 year old is helping me come up with a spread sheet so any recommendations I can easily keep track of. I'm all ears for any good books as well.

There's a Tae Bo workout that is done mostly in a chair. The stuff that is standing is close to the end--fast forward thru the video to see where the standing part starts--it looks like it is about 20 minutes into the workout.

Margaret Richard's Getting Better is another one to consider. She made it while recovering from bunion surgery and has her foot in a cast. None of it is done standing up. It's a really good workout even if you can stand up!

[Susan G.]

Another Richard DVD which gets little discussion is Margaret Richard's Exercise: National Institute on Aging, which, if I recall is centered around a chair. Though there's some standing, I recall extensive seated weight work. The price is a bargain for Richard's workout, and I recall the workout to be quite decent.

[flamingoo]

Thanks for the great recommendations! I will look into Margaret Richards( I think I may have a few). I plan on getting lots of rest and healing before I attempt anything. The last thing I want to do is not heal. I guess one good thing.... I won't be able to go to the kitchen as much as I do now Right now I'm working on core strength and upper body to get ready( always neglect those areas) Can you think of any ab work I can do lying on a couch or bed with straight legs??? Maybe some c-curve stuff?