
So you’ve broken your leg, and the doctor has ordered you to rest, relax, and take it easy. If that’s the case and you are needed to stay off your feet, there are still plenty of things you can do to make your downtime productive!
While you may be tempted to sit around and feel sorry for yourself, these are some productive things you can do to help yourself feel better and get back on your feet as quickly as possible. We hope you enjoy this article.
Also read 10 Productive Things To Do On Your Commute
Here are some productive things to do when you have a broken leg
Table of Contents
Rest
No matter how productive you want to be with a broken leg, the simple fact is you will be much more productive after you are completely healed. So the most productive thing you can do is take steps to get better.
Getting the appropriate amount of rest, physical therapy, proper nutrients intake should be the priority. Finding the right diet and the right exercises can go a long way on your road to recovery. You can spend some looking into ways you get better faster. There are various articles and blogs you find on the subject.
Hopefully, you will find the right path to get well soon.
Make a day to day schedule
Due to the injury, needless to say, your usual daily schedule will no longer work. You will have a lot more free time in your hand. It is a good thing as you will need the rest but the boredom along with it is unavoidable unless you have a day-to-day plan.
You can either jot this down on a piece of paper or use the multiple plan tracking apps available on the market like –
So create a schedule of activities you can do throughout the day. This doesn’t have to be something you strictly follow, but having a visual representation of things you have to look forward to in a day, will help you stay motivated and avoid long hours of procrastination.
Learn a new skill
Often due to our busy schedule, we tend not to have time to work on certain skills we personally have been wanting to develop. This can be something you were always keen on learning for yourself, like playing a musical instrument or how to draw. It can also be career-related like coding, marketing, business analytics, and so on.
With the free schedule and the convenience of being at home, this could be the perfect time to work on those skills. The numerous online platforms available, makes it very accessible as well. Platforms like Udemy,Coursera,Skillshare are great for such purposes.
Hence a little of it every day will help you become proficient in one such skill, and you will reap its benefits for life.
Stay in touch
You will be spending a lot of your time on your phone anyway, so why not make it more fun by reconnecting with people who matter to you. Under usual circumstances, you might find the time or energy to do it, hence this might be the perfect opportunity.
So pick up your phone and call that aunt you haven’t been able to speak for a while, text that friend you lost touch with, drop an email to a teacher or put that phone aside to reconnect with the friends and family around you.
These small efforts can go a long way in staying connected with someone. And who knows maybe one day when that person end up breaking their leg they might think of you and give you a call 🙂
Planning out your financials/investments
This would also be a good time to look into your financial health as well. You can analyze your recent spendings, look into investment opportunities, track your current investments, find more sources of passive income, and much more.
According to your long-term financial goals, you can set up a budget plan. This effort will help you over the years to save money and achieve those goals eventually.
Some of the popular apps to manage your finances are –
- Wallet
- Money Manager
- Monefy
- YNAB(You Need A Budget)
Another aspect you can look into is how to earn passive income. In today’s financial environment it has almost become necessary to have multiple sources have income. A passive stream of income can make a huge difference in how long it will take for you to reach your financial goals
Read books/ Listen to audiobooks
If you are already a reader this would probably be your go-to pass time. It’s no secret how books are a great way to increase your knowledge, vocabulary and also keep you engaged.
In case you are not an avid reader, audiobooks are a pretty great innovation that has become popular over the last few years. Especially at home while recovering, in need of some distraction, audiobooks can be a great tool.
Listening to audiobooks regularly is known to improve your vocabulary, listening skills, attention span, and critical thinking as well.
The most popular platforms to listen to audiobooks are:
You can check out this article by Android Authority to see more options and read its detailed review.
Check out interesting podcasts
The last few years have been great for the podcast industry. It has become a mainstream source of entertainment, with multiple new platforms coming up, offering content on a wide variety of genres.
So pick a topic that you are interested in or keen on learning more about, do a little research about the best podcasts in that domain, and listen and learn new things.
Some of the popular apps out there to stream podcasts are –
It’s probably the most convenient and low-cost method to help you reduce screen time and also make doing meaningless chores more interesting.
Meditation
The benefits of meditation are no secrets. It not only improves our mental health by reducing stress and anxiety but also helps the overall body by reducing blood pressure and chances of heart disease. These are some facts we are all aware of, but many people still dont put an effort into making meditation a regular habit.
Well, this might be a perfect time to start. The best way to begin is to start slow and be consistent. There are various apps in the market that can guide you through meditation routines, even in between the hustle and bustle of your commute. These can be 5 min breathing exercises or a longer deep dive.
Self Reflection
With all the free time you might have you are bound to spend some time alone with your thoughts. This can be a good thing or bad based on the state of your mind. A positive way to approach this can be by reflecting on yourself.
Try to identify the problems, understand the reasons, and think of possible solutions. This can be something in relation to your professional life or personal problems as well. We are not trying to just delve into the problems and get lost in the overthinking. We are looking to come out with effective solutions that we can start working on immediately.
This will help you find those tiny details you have been missing out on, that can make a big difference in the long run.
Conclusion
A broken leg can be a difficult thing to deal with. It can be hard to stay occupied when you have limited mobility and it can be hard to do some of the things you would normally do. At first, it may be difficult to stay focused on the task at hand when your mind is thinking about how you broke your leg. It can be super frustrating. You have to be careful how you move around, and sometimes you just have to stay in bed. When you break your leg, it’s not just your physical recovery that is important. There are also things you can do to keep your mind occupied and keep your mind off the pain.
There are many things that you can do to stay productive during this time. Some people may not agree with this because it is not what they would do in your situation. However, everyone is different and it may be that these things help you to stay productive when you have a broken leg.
We hope you enjoyed our post about things to do when you have a broken leg. Hopefully, this post will give you ideas on how to stay productive and get things done even when you’re not able to get out and about.
FAQs
What activities can I do with a broken leg? ›
Activities for Kids With Leg Casts
Swimming: If the cast is waterproof2. Walking: Possibly with crutches or a cane. Walking with crutches takes some practice, but will build upper-body strength.
Step | Typical recovery time from the day of the fracture |
---|---|
You can walk with crutches | Immediately |
You can walk without crutches | 6 weeks-3 months |
You can drive a car | 6 weeks-12 weeks |
You can return to work | 2-4 months |
...
What to do
- avoid moving the injured leg as much as possible – keep it straight and put a cushion or clothing underneath to support it.
- do not try to realign any bones that are out of place.
- Discover new music. Listening to music can be soothing. ...
- Watch the movies that you've always wanted to see. ...
- Get lost in a good novel. ...
- Listen to audiobooks. ...
- Learn some card tricks. ...
- Play classic games with your visitors.
According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the healing time for fractured bones is based on the patient's age and the type and location of the fracture. Healing usually ranges from 6 weeks to 6 months, or longer in the case of a shattered bone.
How should I sleep with a broken leg? ›Invest in a specialized pillow, like a body pillow, for elevation—keeping the broken bone above your heart prevents blood from pooling and causing swelling. Try sleeping on your back first while propped up on a few pillows. If that doesn't work, slowly adjust yourself to a side position if possible.
What helps a broken leg at home? ›- Keep your leg as still as possible until help arrives.
- Rest. ...
- Put an ice pack wrapped in a pillowcase or towel on your leg to ease swelling.
- If possible, keep your leg raised with pillows or cushions to reduce swelling.
- Often with a broken leg, surgery is necessary.
Skeletal muscle weakness and atrophy occur following an extended period of decreased use, including space flight and limb unloading. It is also likely that affected muscles will be susceptible to a re-loading injury when they begin return to earth or weight bearing.
Is broken bone stronger when it heals? ›Once your broken bone heals fully, it should be just as strong as the rest of your bones, so you won't be more or less likely to break it than another bone.
What cardio can I do with a broken leg? ›A stationary bike is the cardio option of choice for many with injured legs. The bike is a low-impact way to increase cardio fitness. If you can bend the knees and hips, you can probably ride a stationary bike. It is possible to ride with a cast or splint on the ankle or foot, but the ride may be slower.
What do people with a broken leg use to walk? ›
Using crutches, a cane, or a walker can help keep your weight off your injured or weak leg, assist with balance, and enable you to perform your daily activities more safely.
What activities can you do with a cast? ›- Board games.
- Card games.
- Museums.
- Aquarium.
- Movies.
- Go to a play or musical.
- Read together.
- Cook together.
If your child has a broken leg, load up on activities like arts and crafts, board games, and books, and invest in a lap desk with cupholders and slots for crayons to make playtime more comfortable.
How do you stay in shape with a broken leg? ›- Arm Exercises. ...
- Light Walking. ...
- Ab and Core Exercises. ...
- Cardio Exercises. ...
- Leg Exercises (With Caution) ...
- Aquatic Exercises. ...
- Full-Body Chair Exercises. ...
- Stay in Shape Doing Exercises on Crutches.