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Exercises while recovering from shoulder surgery
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I recently crashed my bike and suffered a grade 3 AC joint separation. Had surgery this week to repair it. Currently weaning myself off the pain killers and trying to figure out how to workout once I'm off narcotics. I was in my best shape getting ready for IMTX and hoping not to lose all of my strength/fitness.

I'll be starting pt next week but it sounds like I need to keep my arm in a sling/immobilizer as much as possible. Looking for suggestions on exercises i can do to help build leg strength while my shoulder recovers.

What I have:
Road bike / trainer
Weight bench with leg extension
Free weights
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Re: Exercises while recovering from shoulder surgery [Z28Diddy] [ In reply to ]
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I had that surgery 20 months ago after a mountain biking crash. Tightrope repair with donor tendon. I bought several cheap white mesh slings and rode on my trainer a lot, not too long after surgery. Also walked on the treadmill etc until I could run. To me, PT was a waste of time. I went four or five times and the guy said I obviously didn't need to keep coming in. I'm just fine now and glad I had the surgery.
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Re: Exercises while recovering from shoulder surgery [Z28Diddy] [ In reply to ]
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Set up some sort of contraption to take the weight off your upper body so you can ride the trainer-

Also- Walk a bunch. People I know who have returned well and quickly from shoulder and/or collarbone injuries have made a commitment to walking. And I mean walking a lot- Multiple hours per day. Sometimes all day. Especially those who cannot work because of the injury.
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Re: Exercises while recovering from shoulder surgery [Z28Diddy] [ In reply to ]
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You can definitely use the trainer and also what about goinng to the gym and use the elliptical legs only as there is no pounding.

But probably the best one I can suggest is going to the pool and doing kick sets. Since you cannot use your arms, the best kick sets are on your back. Ideally you would do these hands over your head in a streamline, but I assume you cannot. so kick flat on your back and then practice rotating 45 degrees to each side (still mainly on your back) and synchronize your large kick and hip roll as you would for on the stomach freestyle.

The benefits of kicking on the back:

  1. Infinite oxygen
  2. You will really strengthen glutes, hamstrings and lower back
  3. aerobic fitness specific to all three sports (look at mucle groups I pointed out)



You can do this with and without fins. If you can put your bad arm beside you on your hip, then you can also kick on the other side in a one arm streamline like freestyle. You can also kick face down with both arms on your hips and rotate side to side for breathing....also with and without fins.


I bet if you do this for a month for 30-60 min 3-5 times per week, you will make some large gains in your swimming and you will lose zero fitness for biking for sure and hardly any for running. You can also add water running with a floaty belt on to not use your arms, but my 2 cents is a kick focused block will be much more useful to you as a triathlete than water running. Water running is not a useful skill and you won't forget how to run. If you do a kick focused block this is a useful skill that you will carry through to your post rehab triathlon life.


Dev
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Re: Exercises while recovering from shoulder surgery [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for the tips! I'll give a few of these a try and see what works. The swimming/kick drills sound like a really good idea. I'll have to wait for my incision from surgery to heal, but I will certainly give that a try.
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Re: Exercises while recovering from shoulder surgery [Z28Diddy] [ In reply to ]
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Put your energy into your shoulder rehab. Walking brisk would be fine, and recumbent stationary bike would be ok. I would avoid the pool, the bike on trainer, and the elliptical. If anything you can use the pool for phase 2 of rehab, but clear that with your PT/Doc. The shoulder is a complex joint with a lot of moving parts, and rehab is tough...but if done right, you'll recover well.

CB
Physical Therapist/Endurance Coach
http://www.cadencept.net
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Re: Exercises while recovering from shoulder surgery [PTinAZ] [ In reply to ]
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When you can get in the water, try the sewing machine drill. Doug Stern described it on this forum ~113-14 years ago. He said he was shown it by Anthony Earvin. It really helped me with my recovery from the same injury, although I elected not to have surgery.

_________________
Dick

Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I know nothing.
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