# Regaining fitness after long break due to serious injury - Any Tips?



## climbanymtn (Mar 9, 2018)

Almost 1 year ago (August 2020) I fractured my pelvis in 3 places due to an MTB crash. It was a horrible front wheel wash out on an off camber trail at high speed. Luckily no surgery was needed and no concussion, but it took me a solid 3 months of recovery and rehab before I could walk comfortably without aid of hiking poles. 

I felt pretty much recovered and ready to ride by late November 2020 and started taking baby steps. I only rode a few easy rides on flat pavement and felt ok in late 2020. Going into 2021 I had grand plans to get back into riding at the level I was at pre-injury, but a new job and relocating to a new town stifled my plans. Today I feel like I am in the worst shape of my life.

How do I safely get back into riding without stressing my body or heart too much? Has anyone come across a good training plan for "coming back" from injury in terms of building cardio fitness and leg strength gradually? I know the best answer is probably just "listen to your body" and take it easy at first.

My thinking is to start with flat, paved rides for a few weeks, then build up to climbs with more elevation per ride over time. I'm 59 pushing 60. I've managed to stay lean during my off bike time, so that's a positive at least.

Before my crash, when I was at peak fitness, I was riding 3x week consistently every week (Mon-Wed-Fri) and averaging 3-4K feet vertical and 20-30 miles per ride (2-3 hrs per ride) - riding MTB only and all dirt. I want to get back to that level.


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## phorest (Jul 29, 2009)

When I've been coming back from injury I would always start riding the half-hour, flat ride to work a couple of times a week and just _gradually_ build back up to my normal rides from there as I felt the mojo returning, which it always does!
You've got this!


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## GlazedHam (Jan 14, 2004)

Sorry to hear about you injury ...I have been through this a few times myself and would recommend starting with the classic road bike concept of base training --long, slow distance plus weight training. There is a lot of evidence suggesting that increasing the amount of power that you produce for extended periods is they key to all things bicycling, so start with long rides at a pace you could maintain for hours. Gradually, increase the speed. Given the nature of your injury, you have probably already started leg strengthening exercises. In my opinion, there is nothing better than heavy squats.


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## smartyiak (Apr 29, 2009)

I crashed my road bike three weeks ago. Seven broken ribs, partially collapsed lung, concussion, and severe road rash...well...everywhere. Dr. said I can start activity "whenever you feel up to it" but also said: plan on 12 weeks before your ribs and lungs feel ok.

It's a big cost outlay, but I'm prolly getting a Kick'r (or another direct drive trainer). I plan to just spin my legs for 10-15min every day, every other day, or whenever I feel up to it....just keep the muscles trained. Then increase as able....but no more than 5min extra per session each week until I get to 12 weeks. Although it's gonna cost a bunch, I sorta wanted one (and get Zwift) for when it's winter anyways. 

I totally made this up on my own, so anyone can feel free to tell me I'm on the right path...or it's the dumbest idea they've ever heard.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Do you do any weight training? I found after my horrible crash in 2015 (countless fractures: spine, shoulder blade, ribs, head, neck... all healed). I recovered by training with scaled lifts and increasing my cardio as tolerated (mtb and I took up running). The weight lifting (I did crossfit pre and post crash) was closely supervised by my cf coaches and really helped me to adapt and kept my body fit. My transition to riding was smooth and I had no setbacks. My fitness level (strengthand stamina) even surpassed my precrash level!


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## dernst (Aug 7, 2015)

As previously suggested, try to get to a gym. Low impact stuff to start getting cardio back. A bit of weight training is also really helpful to rebuild muscle groups that may have lost out while you were laid up or less active. It’s better to find and safely push through weakness in a controlled environment vs risking another injury by getting in too deep on the trail.

Just my two cents... it’s worth what you paid for it


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## Mike Aswell (Sep 1, 2009)

If you were riding 2-3 times per week, 20-30 miles/ride with 3-4k of elevation (unless they were super flowy or fire roads) then you already know what it takes because that's a fairly good level of fitness.
The biggest thing is listening to your body as you work back towards it. Taking it too easy won't work but going out and killing yourself immediately won't either. 
The good news (I think) with an injury like that is that once you have the clear from your doc, you can push it pretty good because it's not like you can reinjure it through overuse. (Disclaimer: that's an unprofessional opinion, listen to your doc).


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## 749800 (Jul 14, 2013)

I found that after a severe ankle fracture, which involved emergency surgery and 4 months on crutches and loads of physical therapy, the biggest impediment to full recovery was psychological. It can seriously **** with your head. Focus on building confidence as well as muscle recovery. Also, at your age (which is mine), it can take longer than you think it should. Just try to enjoy riding and don't beat yourself up if you aren't back to your peak performance level. The reality is you might never quite get back to it. But you can still enjoy the ride.


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## 749800 (Jul 14, 2013)

Oh, and I agree about the trainer. It can help rebuild confidence as well as fitness.


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## AlpineMTBTraining (Apr 26, 2009)

Lots of good advice so far. A simple linear progression model of increase time/distance and speed on the bike as adjusting if your body tells you it needs you to pull back. 

Resistance and Mobility training fousing on single leg strength and balancing out any asymmetries that have occurred because of the injury. 

Build slowly, focus on the process and progression. You've got this!


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## hoolie (Sep 17, 2010)

The good news, Ride your bike! The bad news, you may need to change your handle from Climbanymtn to Climbanyhill for awhile. You probably have 1000 people here rooting for you, dont let us down.


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## Dan Zulu (Jul 5, 2008)

As someone who has been through this cycle many times I quadruple the suggestion to resume gradually. This week I have my second hip replacement so I’m in the same boat as you .


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## lone_tree (Jan 22, 2015)

In addition to all the great advice above, I’d not hesitate to see a sports medicine clinic or physical therapist that can review your medical history and give you the best plan of attack.


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## rod9301 (Oct 30, 2004)

climbanymtn said:


> Almost 1 year ago (August 2020) I fractured my pelvis in 3 places due to an MTB crash. It was a horrible front wheel wash out on an off camber trail at high speed. Luckily no surgery was needed and no concussion, but it took me a solid 3 months of recovery and rehab before I could walk comfortably without aid of hiking poles.
> 
> I felt pretty much recovered and ready to ride by late November 2020 and started taking baby steps. I only rode a few easy rides on flat pavement and felt ok in late 2020. Going into 2021 I had grand plans to get back into riding at the level I was at pre-injury, but a new job and relocating to a new town stifled my plans. Today I feel like I am in the worst shape of my life.
> 
> ...


You need to lift weights to get your legs strong. Riding is good for cardio.

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## 33red (Jan 5, 2016)

In my opinion it is about perceived effort. Just ride and deal with your present.
I prefer to avoid goals, i use direction.
So you choose to improve, you know the basics, put in time, be regular, every week.
I would not focus on numbers like heart beat, percentages . . .
Just some common sense, pushing yourself but not like a maniac.


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## Darth Lefty (Sep 29, 2014)

I had a heart surgery. Weird recovery, cardio was ready to go long before sternotomy was ready for MTB. It's been two and a half years and only for a few months have I really felt like I got my upper body strength back.


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## kosmo (Oct 27, 2004)

33red said:


> In my opinion it is about perceived effort. Just ride and deal with your present.
> I prefer to avoid goals, i use direction.
> So you choose to improve, you know the basics, put in time, be regular, every week.
> I would not focus on numbers like heart beat, percentages . . .
> Just some common sense, pushing yourself but not like a maniac.


This seems spot on for us of -- ahem -- advancing age.

Take the biking slow but sure, mix in some dumbell/situp/pushup/stretching and enjoy the ride back up the curve of fitness.


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## Sidewalk (May 18, 2015)

After breaking my foot a couple years ago, and then being in a car accident earlier this year (nothing major, but still injured) I started off by riding on a trainer. Maybe not exciting, but I could control the effort and time very easy. As I improved I started adding intervals until I was comfortable going outside.


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## mtbdudex (Jan 13, 2020)

Sharing .. I'm soon 59, did 2k all MTB miles in 2020, then January 2021 snow skiing park city bad ski fall, torn rotator cuff and tendons, left side. Physical therapy at first , then surgery 3/23. Off too long, back riding from late June 3 months post surgery, missed 4.5 months any ride at all.
A, I got a kickr core, tried it, bored as all heck
B, did lotta fast walking at 14min/Mile pace, kept cardio from totally dying
C, made a PT area in the bedroom stretch and strengthening 
D, I've found the lower core suffered more than I'd thought, had to work on those 
E, I'm still "slow", way below , taking longer to get the body up .. 
F, I use HRM as my training guide, low 130's easy ride, middle 140's medium ride, middle 150's higher intensity ride. Keep spikes no higher than 165.
Everyone is different, but HRM I've found is best measure of stressing the body
G, good luck with your journey










Finally, I set myself a goal &#8230; there's a big ride 9/18, TTC, triple trail challenge, 47 miles MTB trails. I committed to doing that with group of 4 others, so that's my motivation going forward, not to suck then .

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## swissarmychainsaw (Aug 4, 2010)

I'll mostly echo what others have said, but add a couple. Build base fitness by walking, do it consistently (like every day), a bike trainer is a *really good idea because you can control the speed and power. Bored? Watch youtube, think of it as re-hab.
Your muscles everywhere will need rebuilding (6 millions dollas!) - So do some yoga, and flexibility work too! Then weights or body weight exercises (squats, dips, pushups, pullups, burpees!).
You can get it all back but it will take work, you're not old but you're not getting younger!

Sorry for your crash, and good on you for coming back strong. Pick an event a year out and go get it!


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## telemike (Jun 20, 2011)

I destroyed my right hip skiing in winter of 2020. It took a year to get a new hip because I tried to heal it first with rest and cortisone, but pretty quickly I could hardly walk more than a few hundred feet at a time without severe hip pain. Then, there was the delay of non-emergency surgury, two months with a mild but persistent case of COVID, and I finally got the hip done at the end of october, 2020. Then, it was three months recovery without serious exercise.

Needless to say, more than a year on my butt left me very out of shape. I began by riding an old exercise bike, low resistance, high cadence, every day for the length of the fourth movement of Beethoven's ninth symphony, about 25 minutes. At this point, walking would leave my hip sore for the rest of the day so I did not walk a lot. At four months, I began riding the farm roads and the unbusy frontage road at relatively low speed and high cadence - low force on the hip but lots of rotation. Soon thereafter, I began easy trail rides pushing uphill mostly and avoiding rough stuff. 

At this point, I'm still riding my local exercise route almost daily at 8 miles and riding trail two days a week. I'm also walking 3 miles each morning and was hiking until the area temperatures reached the boiling point of molten lead. I am quite aware of the fragility of a newly replaced hip and still avoid chunk.

I feel that the approach of first bike to nowhere, then slow flat rides at high cadence, followed by careful trail riding worked well. I was riding my 8 mile course while I still was walking with a cane! My biggest problem at this point is that I still find myself walking features that I've always ridden and shunning the tougher rockier trails I've ridden for years. That is the phsycological injury!

Slow riding and walking at low effort level, followed by increasing speed, intervals, and real mountain bike riding worked well for me. But, it is not easy getting back into shape, essentially from zero, at 73. As a young whippersnapper you should follow my advice of starting slow with low effort and building up as you get stronger. Just try to ignore the desire for speed and technical trails until you're at least six or eight months from your injury.

Good luck! The bike is the perfect recovery apparatus because the seat and bars take so much of my weight sparing the hips.


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## rod9301 (Oct 30, 2004)

Your hip is bomber.

I'm 72, hip replacement on Jun 7,21. Started to ride on a bike trail around week 5, then week 6 started mountain biking. 

Last week i took an uphill fall, landed on my metal hip on a rock, after falling about 6 feet down a steep slope.

No issues whatsoever. I wear padded shorts(pads around the hip bones), of course with elbow and knee pads, had for the last 20 years.

Still have a bit of pain hyperextening my hip.

Get strong, but no worry, you will not damage your hip. 

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## Brules (Jul 10, 2021)

Man I feel ya. I fractured my pelvis 6-7 years ago - bowling 🤦‍♂️. I feel your pain as there is not much worse than a broken pelvis since they can’t set it or cast it - every time you stand up and sit down you can feel the bones trying to pull apart as they heal slowly. Absolute torture for months on end!!!!

Mine hurts to this day so my only advice is to do as much as you can do and grit the rest out through the pain. Good luck, it’s a suck injury for sure!


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## Dung Hopper (Jun 24, 2013)

I am interested in this topic too. I have seen a couple people mention "listening to your body." If I did that, I wouldn't get out of bed. I only get to ride once or maybe twice per week and generally only ride for about half of the year. I never get into the shape I want but usually by the end of summer I am at least in reasonable biking shape. By the spring, I need to start over. This year, I bought Peloton so I can train even when I don't have time to actually ride. I find the hosts annoying (I may be a curmudgeon) but hope this will help get me over the hump.

I know nothing about sports science but I think that weight training is helpful in a few areas. In addition to building supportive muscles and stimulating testosterone production, it also strengthens bones. I think it helps protect you during a crash. I may be full of crap but that is my impression.


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## 33red (Jan 5, 2016)

Dung Hopper said:


> I am interested in this topic too. I have seen a couple people mention "listening to your body." If I did that, I wouldn't get out of bed. I only get to ride once or maybe twice per week and generally only ride for about half of the year. I never get into the shape I want but usually by the end of summer I am at least in reasonable biking shape. By the spring, I need to start over. This year, I bought Peloton so I can train even when I don't have time to actually ride. I find the hosts annoying (I may be a curmudgeon) but hope this will help get me over the hump.
> 
> I know nothing about sports science but I think that weight training is helpful in a few areas. In addition to building supportive muscles and stimulating testosterone production, it also strengthens bones. I think it helps protect you during a crash. I may be full of crap but that is my impression.


If you talk about getting strong(weights) it is a good idea to include stretching. Being flexible is also a positive and many forget it.


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## EdWiser (Feb 3, 2021)

What I did was start out walking 15 minutes a day for 3 weeks the double that every 3 weeks. Till I was walking every day for an hour at a time. Then I did the same with riding the bike. 
Build up slowly and do not get discouraged.


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## targnik (Jan 11, 2014)

Get out and have fun!!

If you have kids ride with them... good for you & good for them..

When you're tired rest.

When you recover repeat.

Push yourself.

Forge your fitness in the will of your spirit.

Ride it like ya stole it!!

Don't make excuses.

Make plans.

See it, do it.

Sent from my Asus Rog 3


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