UKC

I'm currently in a position where I can't put any significant stress on my ankle.  Does anyone have any recommendations for cardiovascular exercise that puts little or no strain on the ankle joints? Swimming would seem the obvious option, but is a non - starter due to my location.

Any ideas?

Cycling in ski boots?

Slightly more seriously, how about rowing?  Sitting on a rowing machine is boring if you'd usually rather be getting out for a run or something, but it certainly gets the heart pumping.

High intensity intervals with weights?

concept 2 ski trainer. Find a gym with one. 

That's a good idea.  Might look into getting a machine.

[Edit] Maybe not, a quick google suggests it isn't a good idea with dodgy discs.  Sigh.  Isn't getting old and knackered fun.

Another good idea, but might aggravate a bulging disc that I have.

Live a bit far from anywhere likely to have one, but thanks for the suggestion.

How does rowing NOT put stress on the ankle, surely you push with your feet.

Al

How about a hand-bike type exercise machine?

I would speak to a physio before I completely discounted rowing - depending on your individual problem, I imagine rowing with good form , as long as you still have enough range of motion in the hips and lower back, may be beneficial as it will improve muscle condition right through the back.

Rowing with poor form is clearly likely to be disastrous, so it would definitely be something to approach with caution.

Good rowing form actually generates the power mostly from the legs, so good form is inevitably going to involve the ankle in the similar way that a leg press will.

The arm peddler things are the best, although they have gone out of fashion and are quite hard to find in gyms. 

Indeed, it's quite a stable movement though - I was assuming from the fact that the OP was considering rowing, the problem with the ankle allows for weighting through movement in the sagittal plane. If not, it's clearly a non-starter

Sorry, what's the source for this? 

In my knowledge and experience using a quality indoor rower (such as a Concept 2 or WaterRower) is about as safe as CV exercise can get for most people. I'd suggest as long as you keep your chest up and don't curve your spine excessively during the catch and drive, your back is probably safe - and will benefit from the exercise.

Of course everyone is different, but with the rower the combination of a few different factors probably work together to minimise injury risk:

- zero impact

- bodyweight fully supported through the seat

- no loaded eccentric component / force absorption

- involvement of different large muscle groups in different phases of the stroke = whole-body exercise

Good technique is of course essential. Here's a good video showing how to use a rower effectively:

https://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/training/technique-videos

A degree of ankle dorsiflexion (toes pointing up toward knees) is required at the catch, so be careful and smooth as you enter the catch position. The ideal technique for the drive is to keep heels down, however it's not the end of the world if you keep toes down a bit and push off the ball of the foot. 

Start with a low fan setting to help reduce stress on your joints, and take it really easy. Effective, sustainable CV exercise should feel enjoyable

 Quite a few google results seem to suggest it not being a good idea.  This one for example.  http://www.arthritis-treatment-and-relief.com/best-exercise-for-bulging-and...

Thanks for your detailed response though - I'll consult with my physio and see what he says (not that I especially trust him - more witch doctory than I suspect UK trained ones are).

Well yes, but there's stress and there's stress isn't there.  You normally push with your feet, but with a peak force well below bodyweight and not a lot of flexion.

Hi Andy,

I'm sceptical of the view expressed in that article: it's broad-brush and doesn't reference anything. Obviously you need to be careful, but there's absolutely nothing in the kinematics of rowing itself that make it fundamentally bad for backs. That said, rowers do experience a higher level of non-specific back pain than the general population, but we're into selection bias issues here as most published studies look at cohorts of competitive rowers: training volumes and intensities in these groups are very high.

I'm yet to find a study that looks at users such as myself, who almost exclusively use the rower for fitness, yet would be firmly classed as a recreational athlete at best. However I did find a good, evidence-based article which addresses the factors that surround back injury (both among rowers and the general population).

http://www.worldrowing.com/news/low-back-pain-rowing-what-the-experts-say

So it's advisable for anyone new to rowing (particularly those with a history of injury) to use some caution in regard to both intensity and overall volume, as these factors are predictive of back injury risk. As with any other activity quality of movement is key and once that breaks down through tiredness, injury of some sort is not far away. So give it a try, keep your effort and duration gentle, and build up gradually using good form. If pain worsens, chuck some money at the most reputable witch doctor / physio you can find. There may be some easily-corrected mobility or activation issues at play. 

Anecdotally I've used a C2 rower in such a manner for over 7 years. I've logged nearly 5 million metres and haven't had an injury; furthermore my own back pain has completely resolved since I began to rigorously apply the form I describe above.

Luke

I haven't been to a conventional gym for years, but I'd have expected those who are more interested in making themselves accessible (local authority leisure centres and the like) to still have a few handbikes, precisely because they are useful for people who aren't in a position to work their legs.  (Or indeed who may not even have legs.)

Speaking of which, it is also possible to row without engaging the legs at all - it's a paralympic sport after all.  Probably a terrible idea with a herniated disc though.

You're looking for something a bit more erm..  'homebrew' then? 

Here's a slightly leftfield suggestion - got any old rope?  How about rigging a sling and a karabiner overhead, sit on a stool beneath and pull a rope through it hand over hand.  Thread the rope going up to the overhead karabiner through another off to one side to keep the 'up' rope out of the way, and use your imagination to come up with a way to provide just the right amount of friction for how hard you want to pull for a 50m (say) 'lap' as you pull the rope all the way through from one end to the other.

The obvious exercise with zero strain on the ankle or spine is surely good ol' pull ups. Although not a traditional CV exercise, pull ups engage so many different muscles when you do enough to failure or near failure they certainly get your heart rate right up. You can engage even more muscles by lifting your knees to waist high and engaging your abs. You could super set those with another exercise like maybe push ups if you're ankle is OK. You could always do push ups with feet supported in slings. Or dips would be even less problematic for ankles and spine.

Another exercise that really get's your heart and lungs working hard is kettlebell swings. These involve standing but your feet are fixed and ankles don't move very much at all. These are said to be much better for people with bad backs than deadlifts which work similar muscle groups. You don't even need a kettlebell to do them. Any kind of weight you can hold with both or even one hand can be used.