Building Strength after an accident

[cliffords]

I am 61 and physically strong and healthy , or I was , I fell from a ladder two months ago and broke quite a few ribs and had some other complications internally .
However I am much better now and want to start doing some upper body strength exercises .
I have tried with some light weights at home and I am really weak compared to before the accident. My chest and torso have lost a bit of depth and definition and even with small weights I am struggling .

My question is who do I go to for some help . I don't know where to start in terms of a bit of professional and qualified advice on how much to do and what to do .
I have to get some strength back , I would say I have 40% of what I did have so its a massive deterioration in about 9 weeks .

Ribs take an age to repair but they are not too bad now , however I need a bit of advice to get going again without damaging myself .

To give you an idea I tried to move my motorcycle this weekend and , heavy as they are , I used to be able to do it . Not now its just too much for me at present .

Where /who do you go to for this type of stuff ?

Thanks

[shirt]

A physiotherapist.

I’m working with one at the moment. She is great and is impressed I actually do the exercises when she’s not around. Says most people don’t and they can tell immediately at the start of each session.

Pretty sure when I dislocated my shoulder I was referred to one in the nhs as part of the treatment.

[JQ]

Definitely a physio.

[cliffords]

Appointment booked. Thanks for the replies.
Obvious now you have said it .

[Tisy]

cliffords said:

Appointment booked. Thanks for the replies.
Obvious now you have said it .

You could save a stack of money and just go on youtube. It's absolutely brimming with physio people doing exercise tutorials for every bone and muscle imaginable, all for free. It's where I started after a heart attack which left me extremely weak and basically useless at doing anything. In my case an adjustable kettlebell from 3.5 kg to 18 kg sorted me out and strength wise now I'm stronger than I was in my teens.

If you're struggling at your current weight, go lower and be patient. It is painful and quite hard at first, but be patient and your muscles will 'wake up' again and start to grow. Don't try to rush it by going too heavy too soon as you'll injure yourself and your bones which will still be trying to heal.

[Peanut Gallery]

Hope you get a good physio - I spent ages with chiropractors and massages, sports physio took one look at my shoulders and gave me leg exercises. Fixed in 2 days.

[Randy Winkman]

Good luck Cliffords. I have no particular advice on top of what's been said but I have had to deal with serious injuries, so you have my best wishes.

[shirt]

Tisy said:

You could save a stack of money and just go on youtube.

I can’t disagree more, especially given OP’s age and tone of his post is not concerned with spend.

Technique counts for so much and YT can’t correct that.

I’m currently in hospital and the physio has been wonderful for my state of mind as much as improvements in mobility and comfort. I requested they see me as I had been trying to do exercises myself but was worried about doing more harm than good. Turns out I had been doing the right kind of things but my technique was rubbish and also I wasn’t doing any warm up or allowing my bones/muscles to open up for the exercise proper. There were some very small things she had me do from the get go I wouldn’t have otherwise thought to do despite having had all night awake to YT it