Maintaining fitness after an accident

[Bob Ross]

My wife asks:

"I'm off the bike for a few weeks due to a shoulder injury from a bike accident. However, I can use the stationary bike at the gym. Is there a specific type of program I should do to maintain my fitness during recovery?"

Advice/suggestions greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[coylifut]

unless you have a specific competitive event that you've laready paid $ to enter, my advice is to let the fitness go. the type of fitness you'll lose first is your "top end" or anaerobic power. Trying to keep that power by doing something high intensity, on a stationary bike, is fruitless. You are just going to frustrate your self and end up in the same place once you get back outside on the bike anyway. Now that you've made peace with the fact that you are going to indeed lose fitness , I'd proceed very slowly as to avoid set backs.

Depending on the severity of the injury, I'd take the first couple of weeks completely away from anything that resembled exercise equipment so the body can use it's full facilities to heal. Use that time to re connect with family/friends, take care of the crud that keeps getting pushed to the bottom of your to-do list and allow small indulgence in your favorite comfort foods.

I'd then start with about 15 minutes of stationary training adding 5 minutes a day. Stay in the endurance and tempo zones. It'll take you 9 or so days to work up to an hour. With a few days off, that means in 2 weeks you'll be riding inside for an hour. As soon as the shoulder feels good enough, and knowing that you can't go out side and crash, I'd start a lower body weight training program. I'd make up a circuit that takes about 10 minutes to complete. Start with one circuit and then add circuits every other week until you are up to 3. Alternate the circuit training days with the stationary trainer days, but take 2 full days off each week.

In six weeks, the time it normally takes to heal a broken collar bone, you'll be able to step out side and ride your bike comfortably for well over an hour and your lower body will be stronger than before you incured the injury.

[Dave]

I don't see why you need a "program", but there is no reason you can't get on a stationary bike or trainer, immediately. I assume you'll have to ride in a more upright position to avoid loading the injured shoulder. If you're serious about not losing a lot of fitness, you'd need to ride about the same amount of time that you normally do, assuming the stationary device can provide a load similar to normal riding.

I find riding a trainer so boring, I can't stand to do my regular 9-10 hours a week, but maybe half that is reasonable.

When I've had knee surgeries, I get on a trainer within a couple of days, just doing a few minutes at a time to restore my range of motion. Within a week, I'm riding 40 milers and up to normal mileage within two weeks.