Injury Time Out

I have an elliptical exerciser, one of those things that looks like it is part treadmill, part stair-stepper, part bicycle, and that comes close to simulating cross country skiing motions. In an attempt to get some muscle tone back, I decided to increase the tension levels and time spent. I went from tension setting #4 to #6 and from 15-20 minutes 3-4 times a week to 30 minutes twice a day. It was too much too soon and as a result I damaged something in my right ankle that brought everything to a halt. After a week of wearing an ankle brace and being very careful I am almost pain free. I'll be very conscious of exactly how and where I set that foot down for a while. Naturally I self diagnosed from the internet, decided what it was not (a break, a sprain, an Achilles tendon) and what it probably was (a muscle and/or ligament strain from overuse).

The elliptical itself was also a cause. The foot pads had loosened and were slipping forward as I walked (the right foot side especially), causing me to use my feet to hold them in place. I was wearing non-supportive slip on shoes. Then too, the exerciser was very close to the wall on the right side, which probably caused me to distribute my weight awkwardly. See top picture above... even the picture leans to the right ;-) Also! I always read while using the exerciser, holding the pages down with one hand or another, which probably caused an additional imbalance.

So today I moved the exerciser so it faces north, which will put my legs and arms away from the wall into a more open space. See second picture above. I removed the footpads and inserted a temporary cover over the remaining adhesive. I determined to wear supportive shoes while exercising and to make sure I was well balanced on the elliptical, not using one leg more than another, not turning my body at all and facing forward. I will, however, continue to read while exercising. After all, one of the major selling points was that it had a book rack.