Plan B: The Plan You Do When a Body Part Needs a Break

So I went and sprained my ankle. As Diddy or whatever he goes by now would say, “Nobody’s gonna hold me down” though! I may have sprained my ankle, but that doesn’t mean I’m down and out. I have to keep moving for a number of reasons: I work from home … totally alone without a soul to talk to. (I need my gym interactions like a turkey needs a November wish.) Workouts also relieve my stress like no other. There’s just something magical about the transition from feeling like crap, going to the gym and leaving a completely brand-new woman. Endorphins are wonderful.

Knowing this, I spoke to my husband about what I could do while on this ankle-sprain hiatus. I needed a good Plan B — or Plan Break — so that I wouldn’t injure my precious limbs any further. He suggested upper-body workouts (such as chest presses, shoulder raises, etc.), as well as low-impact workouts. Basically, I can’t jump (I injured my ankle doing box jumps), but I can do squats and leg presses at a light weight if I need some good leg/butt work. For warm-ups, I now get on the elliptical machine, the bike or the rower.

Man, it felt good to know that I wasn’t completely out for the count! I’ve done the “protect the ankle” workouts for a couple of days now, and I’m enjoying them. I still work up a good sweat. I still feel like I’m doing something effective for my health, but, most importantly, I feel like I’m respecting the rest time my ankle needs. I have to keep moving to feel good. It’s one of those lovely side effects of working out. Lucky for me I have a smart feller in my corner to help school me!

What about you? Who do you go to for your fitness tweaks? Do you get advice from a pro for what you can do, or do you just take a total break? — Tish