Recovering from a clavicle fracture

So you have a major biking vacation planned or an important bike race on the calendar when you crash while out training or in a race. Are your plans ruined? What can you do to maintain your cycling fitness while healing?

According to Dr. Jonathan P. Braman of TRIA Orthopaedic, broken collarbones are a frequent injury for cyclists and can be very tough to ride through. Whether they are operated on or not, they can take weeks or months to heal. During the healing process, there are many ways to stay in shape for returning to the road.

Probably the best way is on a stationary bike. It must be stable enough to allow you to ride without using your injured arm, and you should lower the resistance to the point where you aren’t swaying too much in the sling. For many cyclists, this is best done with a recumbent stationary bike where you can sit down while you ride with your feet in front of you. This lowers the risk that you will use your injured arm to steady yourself. Other exercise like walking on a treadmill can also be helpful at keeping up general fitness while you wait for your broken collarbone to heal.