Health Forum

i sprained my ankle on Tuesday ( yesterday ) and the swelling is almost gone but i don't want to aggravate it further. i need to go from 40.0 to 39.9 on my BMI by Feb 4 to qualify for an 18mo. weight loss and management study for the Univ. of Pgh. i have cut down my daily calories to less than 1500 ( that's what the study will put me at ) and i really need this study to find out why i lose motivation after about a month and a half.

First, realize that a sprain means that you stretched out the tendons in your ankle beyond their normal range of motion. In all but the most extreme cases, this means that you did little to no long-term damage to your tendon. Obviously there are exceptions to this, and you may fit in that category.

That being said, your approach to healing should threefold:
1) Use ice, advil/motrin (if healthy enough), to decrease inflammation
2) Work on increasing range of motion
3) Build strength in the surrounding muscles

For range of motion, try sitting down with your foot up off ground and drawing the alphabet with your big toe. Make sure to full stretch for each letter.

To build and test strength, alternate standing on your tip toes of the effected leg, building up to doing so on a stair.

Once you can do all of that above with only a bearable of even minor amount of pain, than start with more serious excercises.

Also, in terms of burning calories in the meantime, there are much more effective ways to burn fat than low intensity cardio. Try push-ups, ab excercises, or other weight lifting as they are more effective.

First of all, your ankle is more important right now than the study. If you just sprained it please rest it and use ice to control pain and inflammation. I know you are motivated right now but if your ankle doesn't properly heal now you will have problems later with it. Wait until you are painfree walking and on stairs before you get on the elliptical. If you experience any pain on the elliptical get off and stop, you are not ready. Try swimming if you can in the meantime if you are that close to qualifying for the study. Good luck.