A few days ago I fell down my basement stairs (bedumbedumbedumbump - Hey Dad! that was funny!) and it looks like I cracked a rib. This is not fun, at all.
I asked the doctor if I could 'swim when I felt up to it' and he looked at me like I was crazy - apparantly he feels I could poke a re-cracked rib into my lungs, or something. It is the case that the only time I think I can swim is after I take my Vicodin (and then, fortunately, I fall asleep) but this does seem like an unlikely event to make me stay out of the water for a month or more.
Anyway, is there any experience or doctorly advice for me? I really don't see how I can swim right now - even if I float and kick, the wall seems like Mt. Capitan, but what about later?
Life is so dull, now, and kind of fuzzy . . .
Several years ago, my husband (a runner) broke some ribs in a car accident. My coach at the time was also an athletic trainer. After a few weeks, my coach got him in the water to do running excercises. He used two of those styrofoam "barbells" found at the pool for flotation (one under each arm.) He used running shoes for more resistance. At first, he stayed in the deep water and did 30 sec hard, 30 sec easy. As the ribs healed, he started "running" 50s in the pool, on an interval. By that time he could tolerate some impact. The pool work lasted about 6 weeks. When he was able to run again, he was back to 3 miles on the third day.
I think this time of routine may help you maintain some cardiovascular fitness and give you your chlorine fix. The only pain was when he got his heart rate up.
Good luck.
Betsy Durrant
Several years ago, my husband (a runner) broke some ribs in a car accident. My coach at the time was also an athletic trainer. After a few weeks, my coach got him in the water to do running excercises. He used two of those styrofoam "barbells" found at the pool for flotation (one under each arm.) He used running shoes for more resistance. At first, he stayed in the deep water and did 30 sec hard, 30 sec easy. As the ribs healed, he started "running" 50s in the pool, on an interval. By that time he could tolerate some impact. The pool work lasted about 6 weeks. When he was able to run again, he was back to 3 miles on the third day.
I think this time of routine may help you maintain some cardiovascular fitness and give you your chlorine fix. The only pain was when he got his heart rate up.
Good luck.
Betsy Durrant