Smashed the bones up in my leg three months ago at BPW and just about able to put weight on the leg again. It’s been a long road to here and will be at least another 12 months before I am pain and limp free.

As soon as the wounds heal from surgery heal I am allowed to begin gentle exercise so thinking about setting the road bike up on the turbo to rebuild the leg muscles. It’s all progress but the mental side of not being able to do anything is starting to take it’s toll.

Has anyone got any tips on the best ways to stay motivated? Getting back on the bike proper is obviously a long term aim but is going to be pretty demoralizing getting on the bike and only being able to do 10 mins before the pain really kicks in and I have to get off. My physio starts in just over a week so hoping that makes the speed of recovery feel that little bit faster

Some upper body and core stuff too. It’s amazing (and distrubing) how inactivity sees muscle wastage everywhere. Take it steadily, little and often to begin with – 5 to 10 mins a few times a day on the rollers. Do not do the mtfu and “go for it” strategy. I did that with my knee on the rower and out myself back months. My first bike rides back where 5k with a rest ! Good luck.

I broke my neck last May – C1 vertebrae. Was in a halo/brace for 8 weeks and off the bike for 8 months. Still, could have been way worse. I set up the turbo and just did a bit as often as I could. It was quite funny in the brace as I couldn’t move my neck so couldn’t do Sufferfests or even look out the window – basically looked at the stem, Chris Froome style, the whole time. I never managed much the whole time – it was just too difficult – but I did a little to keep everything working. And I read and studied stuff – especially Sport Psychology/mental training stuff as much as poss. And I just kept believing that I would get back on it at some stage. It was hard, but I have got over the worse now. Am as fit as I was – though a few knee issues that I didn’t have before – and am riding better than ever (and safer). My only real suggestion is that you forget what you were before and embrace the process of regaining fitness etc as a new experience. Don’t compare yourself to what you were before the injury, just enjoy the gains you make v’s yesterday. Good luck and if you ever need a sounding board.

Agree re take your time. Snapped my femur in two mid March, did first turbo session 6 weeks later, but was minimal resistance for 10 mins just to get movement going. Slowly graduated over about 2 months to more intensive intervals, but always paid attention to any pain, and made sure to avoid it. Now back riding outside at about 75% of previous fitness – cycling much more comfortable than walking as less stress on the femoral head.

I think that the physio exercises are more important in the short term though – I found that all the stabilising muscles had wasted, hence these needed working on first through specific physio provided exercises. No point hammering the turbo if your muscles can’t control how your knee tracks etc.

Good luck!

@mtb speaks very wise words. I also have experienced new problems I didn’t have before, my feeling is they are the resukt of the body trying to adjust and protect the broken bit. Without wishing to sound negative the mental side of “how you where” vs “how you are now” can be very tough, been hard for me as it also starts to tie in with “why didn’t I do X or Y before when I could”. I suppose what I am saying is mtb is spot on about mental approach.

Aside from the physical rehab using the time to learn something else helps the mental health side, eg for me practicing Guitar

There was a thread some months ago with wrote a lot of long term injury stuff. Can’t find it on the search. Bit might be worth looking for.

just done the 1st 2 weeks of probably 4 month off the bike with a ankle fusion.
crawling up the walls already, i have now found out that my attention span is pretty much zero.
cant read, cant concentrate. was thinking about learning a new skill, cant concentrate. been playing a bit of chess, bored with it. bought a mini drone, bored with it.
started planning a tour for when i am mended, it has lifted the mood a bit.

when i was laid up after heart surgery, i bought a turbo to use indoors, it worked to build up a little bit of fitness, but i soon decided to ride on the flat canalside, as the monotony of being sat in the kitchen on the turbo soon wore thin.

I’m 14 weeks into a fractured vertebrae and awaiting MRI results. The pain and restricted movement is pretty bad but I just fall over because my legs give out or just don’t move when I tell them to. I did consider what life will be like if I can’t depend on my legs long term, pretty dire really. However I am not accepting delivery of those thoughts now, no trying-to-put-it-to-the-back-of-my-mind or trying ignore them, just simple, flat out refusal to let myself think about it. That’s my way anyway.

Muscle wastage is a bitch. I had my leg in plaster for 5 or 6 months 10 years ago. When the first cast came of at four weeks the bit just above the knee was so thin it actually scared me. But it came back with fairly gentle exercise, which was nice. In my experience it will come back more easily than you think.

I tried a guitar but the missus, supportive as she is bless her, took it away before she felt compelled to beat me with it..