Hi guys,

It's been a while since I posted here. Hope you're all well!

Recently I have been having pain around my ribs... I suspect it's a hairline fracture. I bumped into a big rock while in the ocean 2 weeks ago. It did not hurt too much afterwards, just some tenderness on the spot. Suddenly, about three days ago, a sharp pain developed after I poked around on my rib to check if it still hurt! That seemed to have aggregated the pain. Either that, or the stretching exercise I did that day? Anyway, I feel kind of out of commission now. Will get an X-ray next week.

If I do have a fracture, I won't be able to do my regular exercise, which is taking ballet class. Yesterday I ran a few small step while catching the bus and even that hurt. So jogging would be out of the question. The problem is, I start to feel depressed just by the prospect of not being able to keep on doing my favorite exercise, and by the pain as well. What sort of "cardio" exercise can I do while my bone heals, if there is any that won't further aggravate my pain? Any suggestions?

Balletomane,

I can totally understand your anxiousness to get back into exercise. My dad is a hunter and the man cannot sit still... always moving and doing things. Although I am a B nomad, I am quite active so I really know where you are coming from.

Hairline fractures on the rib are quite painful from what I heard. My mom got into a car accident and the airbag and impact gave her a fractured rib. She could not even cough and breathe without pain.

It might be better for you to take a few days off and let it heal. I am afraid that any stretching exercise and cardio that may cause you to breathe a bit strenuously may make the injury worse.

Wishing you a speedy recovery! Hugs!

Thanks so much, passionprincess, for your comforting words! You're right, I gotta be active to feel well. But my mom, who's a B like you, is even more into action than I am! She really cannot sit still. At least I can do so when I do my daily meditation   I have been taking super easy today... but the depression set in. I guess the only form of exercise I can do for now is to take slow walks. Luckily, breathing does not give me any pain, so I guess (crossing my fingers) the degree of injury is not too bad.

Hairline fractures on the ribs are difficult since you cannot put a cast on it or anything and try and go about with your life.

Taking walks in sunlight might be helpful. I am looking into sunlight alarm clocks because I found myself waking up a bit later today because it was cloudy and I did not have enough sun coming in. I know my friends get depressed when they do not have enough sunlight in their life.

I force myself to do yoga so I can "quiet my mind" otherwise, I am the typical B... multi-dimensional thinker who is always multi-tasking! I am forcing myself to become a single tasker, though.

Quoted from balletomane

Thanks so much, passionprincess, for your comforting words! You're right, I gotta be active to feel well. But my mom, who's a B like you, is even more into action than I am! She really cannot sit still. At least I can do so when I do my daily meditation   I have been taking super easy today... but the depression set in. I guess the only form of exercise I can do for now is to take slow walks. Luckily, breathing does not give me any pain, so I guess (crossing my fingers) the degree of injury is not too bad.

If you are not experiencing pain when you breathe, maybe you would walk or bike, if you own either an outdoor bike or a stationary bike?  My husband broke nine ribs and his collarbone and punctured and bruised a lung.  I think walking and biking were the two things he found he could do once he was no longer in such terrible pain.  Good luck and I hope you feel well soon so that you can go back to your beloved ballet!  

my fav exercise is doing work I need to do, like cleaning house floors, and putting one thing at a time away running trough the house up and down.. dust high up to stretch ..