In this video, I’m going to show you some great exercises to get your body ready to
run again after a Metatarsal stress fracture.
So you’ve been told that the foot pain you’re suffering with is a metatarsal stress fracture.
This is one of those injuries that I can unfortunately speak about from personal experience.
I can definitely confirm that this isn’t an injury you can run through!
As you’ve no-doubt been told, resting the foot is hugely important to allow the the
bone tissue to heal properly.
However it’s important to remember that while you’re resting the foot, there’s
still loads you can do in terms of exercise.
With the right rehab plan we can make sure that when the time comes, you’re ready to
get back to running stronger than ever.
After all... it’s the foot we’re trying to rest.
As long as we’re careful to protect the foot there’s still the other 95% of the
body that we can work on!
I’ve actually created a free downloadable Metatarsal Stress Fracture rehab guide to
go alongside this video with a series of bonus exercises and rehab progressions.
I’ll leave the link in the description of this video - be sure to check it out
Now, let’s take a look at the various different phases of metatarsal stress fracture rehab
and check-out a few of the key exercises you can be working on at each stage...
Ok so during this early stage of your injury, we of course have to protect the foot from
undue loading and stress while the bone begins to heal.
Whether you're in a protective boot or not, the this period of time where you're not using
the foot normally can have consequences for areas higher up the body, such as the hips
and the low back.
While you can't load the foot too much at this point, you can still promote good movement
throughout the rest of your body.
Here are a couple of hip and back mobility exercises you can work on without damaging
your foot.
Start on all fours.
From there, take one knee and bring it forwards towards your elbow.
From there bring the knee out to the side and straighten the leg backward from the hip.
Repeat this circular movement ten times, then reverse the movement.
Aim for three sets of ten on each side.
Laying on your front, reach your left foot and leg back and across your body to touch
the ground on the right of your body.
You'll feel your glutes and low back working as you extend the hip through movement.
You'll also be getting a great stretch through the front of the hip.
Repeat this on your right and left alternately, and aim for three sets of 10.
In the same way, while you're not using the foot normally, sometimes the ankle and foot
it self can get a little stiff.
This simple a-to-z exercise where you 'write' the letters of the alphabet with your toes
gives your foot and ankle a thorough workout in all planes of motion.
When your Physio gives you the go ahead to begin gradually loading the foot again, any
exercise where we work on balance and stability is a great option... just as long as nothing
you do causes your foot pain.
This single leg toe touch exercise is one of my favourite balance and single leg stability
exercises for runners!
It's so simple yet so effective...
Standing on one leg, maintain your balance as you keep your back straight and pivot forwards
from the hips.
Reach down to touch your big toe with your opposite hand, then stand up straight again.
Of course it's not just about the foot...
As I mentioned regarding mobility, we also need to address the hips when it comes to
keeping important muscles such as the glute complex in good functional condition.
I really like this variation on a step-up exercise where we add a resistance band just
below the knee to force you to work harder through those all-important abductor and external
rotator muscles of the hip, such as glute med and upper glute max.
Keep the movement slow and deliberate while stepping back and forth over a step for three
sets of 1 minute
When it comes to gradually returning to running, there are also a number of exercises you can
work on to build strength around the foot, ankle and lower legs.
When the time comes to resume running gradually, your Physio should give you an appropriate
return to running programme so that you can gradually increase the cumulative stress on
the injured metatarsal.
Alongside the running programme you should also ask your Physio about exercises you can
use to compliment running in gradually reintroducing the loading.
Exercises such as heel and toe walking are great for building strength and endurance
in the muscles around the ankles.
Jumping rope and jumping on its on are both great low level ploy strict drills which will
help you condition the low legs, feet and ankles for running.
As with the obvious progression - hopping - care should be taken in performing these
post metatarsal stress fracture.
Little and often is the way forwards with these exercises, so as to not overload the
bone tissue as it remodels.
I usually find that 5 X 20sec bouts of an exercise like jumping rope is an adequate
training load to begin with.
Not too much, but enough to have an effect.
If you're unsure, please always check with your Physio.
Best of luck with your rehab, and don’t forget to check the link in the description
to pick-up your free metatarsal stress fracture rehab guide.