Thursday, April 21, 2011

Herniated Disc, Broken Ribs and I'm bored of Exercising


Q: Jey said...
     "Hi! AP! ok so ive lost alot of weight and now im having to deal with the whole skin issue :\ and id like to know what things i can do to help that problem. I was told by my weight loss dr to do weights along with cardio but im not sure which weight lifting exercises i should do... also i have restrictions due to an accident a couple years ago. My doctor said to do exercises that wont irritate my back. i have a herniated disc in my spine and i have 5 broken ribs that are joined but not solid. which i have been doing and feel like its working but im getting bored of the same exercises. :\ What do you suggest?"

A: AP FIT says...
     Hi Jey! Thank you for being a reader and submitting your question. Unfortunately, your case is a bit more delicate than most and without training you one-on-one I cannot assess your body's abilities. To be truthful I can't tell you which exercises you can do since I am not your doctor. The real one to be able to "clear" you for certain exercises is your doctor. What I will do for you is tell you what NOT to do and how to keep your back and ribs safe as any client of mine will tell you, "Safety first with AP."

The exercises you should not be jumping right into with a bad back are deadlifts, barbell rows, dumbbell rows, squats, sprinting, jumping, power cleans, standing shoulder presses and standing french overhead presses. These exercises are all performed with free weights and are extremely dependent on intense back posture. They put way too much pressure on the back for someone trying to recover. For your ribs, do not slam any bars on your rib cage when performing bench presses or rows. Always use a slow and controlled motion with any exercise you perform.

What I recommend for someone like you is to visit the gym with a notebook, check out the machines that you think look like fun, read their descriptions and write their names down. You can then take this to your doctor and see if he says you're okay enough to use these.

If your doctor clears you for these machines then you can come back and update me on what he says. From there it will be easier to tell you which machines do what and their benefit for someone with your medical limitations at the moment. Then, we will do the same with free weights.

It's important that you train your back even if a little because resistance (weight) training increases bone density growth. Thicker and stronger bones means...a healthier body structure.

Stay Focused. Stay Strong.

 
    

3 comments:

  1. K will do thnx so much... Will yoga, zumba and or pilates help w my bck n skin issues? Jst curious since it doesnt involve weights at all.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Jey!
    Zumba, yoga and pilates are primarily activities that although put your body under a lot of stress don't necessarily activate your muscles for growth. You definitely don't want to substitute weight training with any of those to tone up but feel free to include them in your workout plans as long as you're not sacrificing your resistance training days.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I want to burn 1400 calories!!!!! How do u do that?

    ReplyDelete

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