STAYING FIT AFTER SURGERY

Dear Jellybean,

I'm getting surgery on my toe next week, and I will be unable to put weight on my foot for 6 weeks. What can I do to stay fit on crutches?
-One-foot wonder

Dear One-foot wonder,

That's a great question. While you will have to skip some of the more obvious aerobic exercises, you can still keep your body toned and in good shape in the weeks following your surgery. There are quite a few workout programs that have been designed for people who can't bear weight on their feet - wheelchair athletes, for example. Doing these exercises every day, or even every other day, can help you to maintain muscle tone, even though you can't run around.

A search of the Web should turn up lots of exercises (search for "seated exercises" or "chair workout"). Here are a few good ones that you could start with - just be sure to consult your doctor about any exercises that you plan on doing - whether these ones or others - to make sure they're safe for you while you're recovering.

Leg Extensions
Good for: Front of calves
Start in a chair, sitting up very tall with feet flat on the floor and knees together. Straighten the right leg as much as you can while keeping your foot flexed. Bend the knee and lower the foot back down. Touch the heel lightly to the floor (don't rest all the way down) and repeat the leg extension 15 times. Switch to the other leg.

Seated Squeeze
Good for: Inner thighs
Sit in a chair, with back straight, feet flat on the floor and knees together. Place a soccer ball or a rolled-up towel between your knees. Squeeze the ball/towel by contracting the inner thighs. Hold for a few seconds, then and release slightly (don't release all the way). Repeat 15 times. Keep your tummy sucked in through the exercise to get an ab workout too (think of pressing your belly button into your back).

Chest Squeeze
Good for: Chest and upper arm muscles
Sit in your chair, back straight and abs in. Hold a soccer ball (or any other type of ball) at chest level and squeeze the ball with the palms of hands to contract the chest. While continuing to squeeze the ball, slowly push the ball out in front of you at chest level until elbows are almost straight. Keeping up the pressure with your hands, bend elbows and pull the ball back to chest. Repeat 15 times.

Seated Lateral Raise
Good for: Front and back of arms
Sit with good posture holding light dumbbells (or you can use full water bottles or soup cans if you don't have weights) in both hands at your sides. Keeping the elbows slightly bent and wrists straight, lift the arms up to the sides only to shoulder level (palms face the floor). Lower back down and repeat 15 times.

Bicep Curls
Good for: Front of arms
Sit holding dumbbells (or water bottles) in both hands, palms facing forward. Keeping wrists straight, contract the bicep (front of the arm) and curl the weights up towards your shoulders (without touching shoulders). Lower back down slowly to the starting position. Keep a slight bend in the elbow at the bottom - don't swing the weight - and keep the elbows in place as you curl the weights. Repeat 15 times.

Seated Rotation
Good for: Abdominal (tummy) muscles
Sit with good posture holding a soccer ball or a dumbbell in front of your body with both hands. Elbows should be slightly bent. Keeping the abs sucked in, rotate the ball to the right. You should rotate from your waist/torso only - keep hips and legs facing forward. Contract abs to bring the ball back to center and then repeat the movement to the left. Go slowly and concentrate on rotating only at the torso. Repeat 15 times.

Reclining Curl
Good for: Abdominal (tummy) muscles
Scoot forward in your chair or sit on a bench so that your butt and back are as far away from the chair back (if there is one) as possible. Keep your abs tucked in tightly throughout the exercise. holding your abdominals tight throughout the movement, Inhale as you slowly lean your torso and shoulders backwards (keeping back rigid and straight from hips to top of the head), as far back as you feel comfortable, or until your head barely touches the back of the chair or bench. Hold the position for one or two seconds, then exhale as you return to the starting position. Do 15 times.

Knee Raise Crunch
Good for: Abdominal (tummy) muscles
Sit up tall with feet planted flat on the floor, abdominals held tight. Keep shoulders squeezed together to hold yourself upright throughout the exercise. Raise your left foot in a slow and deliberate movement, while at the same time curling forward with your shoulders to "crunch" your body. Hold for a second in the fully crunched position before returning the foot to the floor. Repeat with the other leg. Do 15 times on each side. (If this becomes too easy, you can make it harder by bracing yourself with your hands beside your thighs and lifting BOTH feet off the floor while crunching forward).