Foot and ankle injuries are extremely common and can often be resolved with light foot care at home. If you choose to continue exercising, do so carefully so that you don’t interrupt your recovery. Below are a few tips to ensure you stay in shape and regain your full strength as quickly as possible.

How to Exercise With Foot & Ankle Injuries

1. Stay Low-Impact

High- or moderate-impact exercises like running can worsen foot or ankle injuries. Play it safe by choosing low-impact cardio. Biking and elliptical machines are much easier on ankle injuries, and swimming can reduce foot-related pain. Always speak with your diagnosing foot care professional for approval before working out.

2. Stick to Lower-Body Weight Machines

Weight exercises like clean and jerks, squats, or full-leg motions can place a lot of strain on your ankles and feet, especially when you’re forced to balance. To ensure you still hit all the lower-body muscle groups without hurting yourself, use machines while you recover. Weight machines are easy on the joints and help you get excellent results from your workout.

3. Emphasize Upper Body

Light foot and ankle injuries like sprains or heel pain may only take a week or two to heal fully. During this time, focus more on your upper body. It’s highly unlikely you’ll lose much strength or muscle mass in your legs in this short period. Upper body exercises still lead to caloric burn and muscle-building, making it easy to stay in shape.

If you’re looking for foot care services in the Cincinnati, OH, area, contact Choice Podiatry Associates. This practice offers a full scope of podiatric services, including foot surgery, custom orthotics and inserts, diabetic foot care, and sports injury treatment. Visit their website to learn more about their services, or call (513) 574-2424 to speak with a representative.