Broken rib & sprained shoulder - recovering and maintaning fitness

neeb
neeb Posts: 4,471
Knocked off by a car last weekend and have a single broken rib and a sprained shoulder (AC ligament). Looking for advice on recovery and maintaining fitness.

The rib seems to be causing me most trouble at night and breathing isn't affected too much. The orthopedic nurse said I should be allowing at least 3 weeks recovery before doing any exercise, even indoor cycling. The shoulder doesn't seem to be much of a problem on a stationary bike, although I wouldn't want to cycle outdoors until it's a bit more stable / stronger (it's basically the shoulder equivalent of a sprained ankle).

The nurse said I'd have various internal bruises and that exercise just wouldn't be good for me at this stage.

It occurs to me that this might be a good time to do some lower body strength training (nothing wrong with my legs), but how would I do that without putting any pressure or load on my upper body? I have no experience of gyms, but am willing to experiment..