The main purpose of EasternSlopes.com is to tease, tempt and cajole you to get outdoors and have fun. As I write this, however, it’s been two and a half weeks since my collarbone went “SNAP!!” in a mountain biking accident. I need someone to tease, tempt and cajole me to exercise outdoors after an injury . Trust me, riding an “exercise” bike while watching baseball with your arm in a sling isn’t nearly as much fun as pedaling singletrack, even if it is safer.
The restrictions on my active lifestyle are, frankly, annoying. But my doctor is strongly counseling patience to avoid re-injury, and I’m listening . . . reluctantly. Of course the simple fact that it still hurts helps me stay in suspended animation.
It’s easy to get lost in yearning for the things I can’t do. Pedaling, paddling, backpacking, fly fishing, rock climbing, archery, rollerskiing, swimming, surfing, windsurfing, ziplines and aerial adventures, even something as simple as playing Frisbee—all things I like to do at this time of year—are off limits until this injury heals.
The good part of this injury is that it should heal completely—if I just give it some time. But in a way, the very fact that it’s temporary creates it’s own problems.
This past spring I spent a lot of time doing active outdoors stuff with supposedly disabled people. I say “supposedly” because with adaptive equipment and personal determination these particular folks could kick my supposedly able-bodied butt in any sport of their choosing. However, they all had permanent injuries or disabilities, which made it worth the time, effort and expense to find, fashion or purchase equipment they could use. That’s not as helpful for those of us who need a temporary way to exercise outdoors after an injury.
I’ve been thinking about what would work for a guy with one painfully gimpy arm. Regular biking is out—I can’t rest any weight on my left arm and I’d be afraid of falling. But a recumbent tricycle — one that you ride in a reclining position — might work really, really well.
Last year, on Martha’s Vineyard, my sweetheart Marilyn and I took a tour of the island on recumbent tricycles. These are amazing machines. You sit comfortably in a reclining chair, pedal with your legs stretched out in front of you, and float along. There’s no strain on your neck, arms or back. They are easy to shift and you can go as slow or as fast as you want without any fear of breaking your collarbone (or anything else) in a fall. Sitting so close to the ground, you feel like you are moving very fast even when you’re not, and it’s a great way to watch the scenery.
I wish I owned one. Ever since I got hurt, I’ve been yearning for a ride on a recumbent trike. I’m 99% sure I could comfortably pedal, shift and steer it, even with the busted bone. But they are expensive machines and there’s no place to rent one around here. You can bet that, if this injury was permanent and a recumbent trike was what I needed to get out and ride, I’d find a way to buy one. I’m not short of the determination it takes to get out and play. Right now, I’m just short of patience . . .
Exercise Outdoors After An Injury One Step At A Time
The one thing I’ve found I can still do is walk. (However, until a day or so ago I still had to get someone else to tie my shoes for me . . .)
I have to admit, I’ve never appreciated just going out for a stroll as much as I have in the past couple of weeks. And walking is still a great way to get some exercise and fresh air.
I am, however, more conscious of walking safety than I’ve ever been before. I do NOT want to stumble, let alone fall. And my balance is definitely off with one arm out of commission. So far, I’ve been sticking to pavement, and even there I’m using a hiking stick. This weekend, I’m going to try a short hike through the woods and see how that goes. When you are limited in what you can do, doing any exercise outdoors after an injury seems wonderful.