Written By: Prerna Mittra | Updated : December 12, 2023 12:07 PM IST
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The actor made a comeback to the gym and set many fitness goals! (Photo: Instagram/@anupampkher)
Working out after any kind of injury can be challenging, especially for people who have been active throughout. There are many dos and don'ts that need to be followed to prevent a fresh injury from happening, since the affected area may still be healing. One needs to ensure that the healing process is over and they have received their doctor's go-ahead. Anupam Kher, for instance, suffered a shoulder fracture recently, and had to be away from the gym for almost five months. The actor took to Instagram to share with his fans and followers that he has now recovered and is ready to work out.
Alongside a video of him doing shoulder stretches and working on his upper-back muscles, Kher wrote: "Back to my BACK. I had to stop working out for almost five months due to a fracture in my right shoulder during the shoot of #Vijay69. Now, I have started all over again and decided to put this video in public domain to feel responsible and continue to work towards a better physique! Wish me good luck and send me some strength!"
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While the 68-year-old set fitness goals, given that he still sweats it out in the gym, what kind of post-fracture precautions should one take, especially if they are of a certain age?
We reached out to Dr Deepthi Nandan Reddy, senior consultant orthopaedic surgeon, shoulder, elbow, hand and sports injuries, and clinical director at Yashoda Hospitals Hyderabad, who said that a shoulder fracture takes about 5-6 weeks to heal, and during the healing, the arm is rested in a pouch. Once the fracture is healed, the muscles in the shoulder are strengthened to restore shoulder function. "Weight lifting and gym activities usually start 2 months after the healing of the fracture and after the movements in the joint are restored," he said.
"It is advised to take it slow in the initial phases. The exercises are done in phases. In the first phase, when the fracture is healing, the arm is rested, gentle movements of the wrist and elbow are encouraged. In phase 2, when the fracture has healed, shoulder mobilisation exercises are started to improve movement in the joint. In phase 3, once movement is improved, the shoulder muscle strengthening is started. Once shoulder function is improved, gym activities can begin. This usually takes about 3 months," explained Dr Deepthi.
On whether people in their 60s, such as Kher, need to be extra cautious, the doctor said that once the bone has healed and muscle function is restored, the shoulder should be used normally. "Age is not a bar to the amount of exercises a person can do, provided the strength training is gradually increased and is done under professional guidance."
"Resistance exercises are recommended to strengthen the main muscle in the shoulder that is the rotator cuff. The shoulder ball moves on the socket and the socket is on the shoulder blade, so strengthening the muscles around the shoulder blade is also paramount. The exercise [Kher] is doing is good for the shoulder blade," the doctor concluded.
