Fitness and free gym memberships.

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My left leg was injured in an accident a few years ago, and I never recieved medical treatment for it. It's more than likely there were one or more minor or moderate fractures. I just let it heal.

The point of that story is this; I have a free gym membership. I'm a tad bit overweight, but more concerned about overall health. I have COPD, but active interests. My goal is, overall, to increase my strength, improve function of my injured leg, and lose weight in the process, while performing exorcises with lower aerobic demand.

I've got a free gym membership at a local gym through my apartment complex. Any ideas on what particular exercises/machines I could use to achieve those goals?

Does the gym have an instructor who could advise you?

I think our free membership only covers the use of the equipment. I'm not sure if you can get anything beyond basic instruction of how to use a particular piece.

Hi,

Does this gym have a pool? My son's PT has recommended water therapy or exercises for him. We even do some classes on exercise in the water.

Vicky

I don't think they have a pool, but my apartment complex has a small one.

You can definitely loose weight in the aerobic span (about 130-140 BPM) but if you want strength and muscle building, you will need to do something more anaerobic. I would suggest alternating. You can do aerobic activity for a few days/week, then do strength building on the days you don't plan to do light cardio. Keep in mind that muscle burns calories simply by existing, so that will help with your metabolism if you end up training for strength. As far as specific exercises go, I don't know the extent of your particular injury, so it would be hard for me to give you anything concrete. I would just say stop when it hurts, as in not the burning kind of hurt, but the injury kind of pain.

The pain in my leg isn't so bad most of the time, but it is almost constant. It worse the longer I've been standing on when the air pressure changes or the weather changes drastically.

You don't tell us your age, but the COPD and fact you are overweight might concern an instructor. If you're not currently taking regular exercise they would want you to start gradually and work up. They might want to check your weight, blood pressure and resting pulse rate as well.

I'm twenty-one. My diagnosing physician wanted to do a journal on me because of my age. I'm fairly active right now. I walk my dog several times a day, ride two to three miles a day on the bicycle. Wrestle and active play with my dog. Actually, currently, all my physical activity is dog-centric.

It sounds like you're sufficiently active and you've little to worry about then. When you mentioned COPD I imagined an old man on the edge of his first heart attack. You could just ignore the gym and cycle 10-15 miles a day instead of your current 2-3. I'm surprised you've not had any treatment for your leg - most people woudn't be willing to self care for a suspected fracture and would be straight down to A&E for x-rays t see what had gone on. Is it possible the injury is to a joint and connective tissue rather than the bone itself? Given that unknown you might want to be cautious about high impact sports. Wonder what a physiotherapist would advise.

I tend to have an aversion to doctors, and the medical field in general. I've received the most minor of "Field Medicine" training in a militia I was in and have supplemented a lot of that knowledge by studying practices of medicine in different cultures. I personally feel I competently treat myself in a lot of areas, although I never did what was necessary for my leg other than making sure every part was straight, lol. I suppose it's entirely possible that it could be a joint or connective issue, I don't know enough about the muscular-skeletal systems to say for sure, but in the vague sort of way I remember things like that, the type of pain was reminiscent of when I first broke my arm. Most people are very surprised or in disbelief when I tell them I have COPD.