Lunge problems

[telophase]

I've been lurking here for a while after having been directed here by rydra_wong. I'm starting Stage 3 of the New Rules of Lifting for Women workout (although it'll be a slow start as I took longer than expected off after 2 due to a cold and a 4-day migraine).

The problem I've been running into with the workouts is that I've got arthritis in my feet, in the joint at the ball of the foot where the big toe does most of its bending.

So I can't bend that joint - there's some range of movement, but if I do it with any force on it, as you do when balancing, it hurts for hours, if not days afterward (and injures it, which causes more bone spurs to form, etc.).

So I've been trying to work out a way to do lunges that's effective without engaging this joint, but it's hard - I end up carrying all of my weight on my front leg, which is harder to lift, and my balance is shot because I can't use my back leg very well. So far, the best I've managed to do is put the Wii balance board behind me and rest my back foot against the edge of it and hold on to something with one of my hands to aid balance, but it's not especially good.

Any ideas? I work out at home rather than the gym, and the shoes I use are rolly-bottom shoes with rigid soles, so I don't bend my toes when I walk but still have a halfway normal stride (like MBTs or Skecher Shape-Ups), but they're not good for balance when trying to do something like this. :)

If there's alternate exercises to lunges, that would be good also. I'm getting close to the point where I may just double up on squats instead of doing lunges, so I get some sort of decent leg workout, even though it's not the same.

Comments

[rydra_wong]

Test it out, but I think this might work (and it's a great exercise anyway):

Bulgarian Split Squat

Exrx's exercise/muscle directory is pretty handy in general if you need to find an alternative for a particular exercise.

[telophase]

Thanks! That might work, as might the side lunge as shown on that site.

[weirdquark]

When my legs decided to twinge in ways that made my lunges sad during stage one, I replaced them with step-ups-- the motion seemed similar enough that it would be a good substitution, though I'm not sure how true that actually is.

You could also try doing the static lunge, rear foot elevated thing with resting the top of your back foot on the step, rather than bending your toe, though I just started stage two today and tried that, and found that my balance wasn't very good that way.

[telophase]

We've got a nice 8" fireplace hearth here that serves well for step-ups, so that could be a good option, thanks!

I ended up with balance problems on the rear-foot-elevated lunge also (which is how I ended up balancing my foot against the Wii balance board). But the way the Bulgarian split squat is shown in rydra_wong's link above may have fewer balance problems. I'll give it a go.

[untonuggan]

I don't know much about what other exercise you might try, but I do have a thought/suggestion. This may be completely superfluous information, as I'm sure you've got an arsenal of ways to manage your arthritis. But here goes anyway.

I have fibromyalgia, and have been dealing on-and-off with bursitis, a neuroma, and plantar fasciitis. When I've had trouble doing exercise, I make sure I warm up the area first (either through light cardio, a TENS unit if I'm at physical therapy, or a heating pack) for 5-10 minutes, do the workout, and then ice it for 10-15 minutes afterwards. If I'm rushed for time I just do the ice. It's amazing. Plus, I make sure to take ibuprofen or another NSAID if I know I'm likely to get some pain. It really, really, really makes a huge difference.

Hope this helps. :)

[telophase]

Thanks! I try to be conservative with the OTC painkillers because of migraines - I don't want to end up with rebound headaches. But I really ought to be icing my feet after working out; it would probably help a great deal!

[buddleia]

Ooh, I have exactly this problem and am watching the comments gratefully!

[telophase]

I was going to try the side lunges I mention in my first reply above on Saturday when I did the body-matrix part of Workout 3, but my head had other ideas! I ended up stopping before I did that part of it because I got that tension which told me if I overdid it, I was going to get a migraine, so I quit. Ah well, next time! (Probably a good thing anyway, as my legs were seriously sore the next day!)