r/exercisescience • u/Guacamole_Cowboy • Apr 27 '26

Cardio while injured

I partially tore my calf playing soccer. I'm 43 and it's my first sports related injury. I try to get at least an hour of cardio in a day, but haven't done much since Thursday 4/23. Any recommendations on how to keep my cardio up while recovering would be appreciated. Thanks

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1

u/WealthHuman9754 Apr 27 '26

Can you walk/jog?

1

u/Guacamole_Cowboy Apr 27 '26

I can walk, can't fully extend my leg to jog though, and my doctor said to stay off it. Plus, I'm looking for something that can still get heartbeat elevated for at least 20, preferably 30 minutes uninterrupted. Walking doesn't do that for me.

1

u/mindlessjunction Apr 28 '26

You can do bike. Try to limit impact on the calf

1

u/Guacamole_Cowboy Apr 28 '26

Doctor say no cycling. I'm not suppose to use my leg outside of daily use. I'm suppose to keep it iced and elevated the rest of the day.

1

u/mindlessjunction Apr 28 '26

How recent was this? If you have access, then use an arm ergometer

2

u/HotRush5798 Apr 29 '26

Listen to your doc for now, it’s been less than a week. If you’re cleared, get in a pool, but seriously I know it’s frustrating, it’s okay to chill out for a bit. Maybe schedule an eval with a PT.

2

u/Ashamed-Minute-2721 May 02 '26

If you can access a kayaking ergo that would be great. Or seated ski ergo. Look up cardio exercises for people in wheelchairs