4Safe Exercises When You Have Fractured Ribs
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4 Safe Exercises When You Have Fractured Ribs — and What to Avoid

Fractured ribs can be painful, but it’s possible to continue working out during your recovery. Some gentle exercise may even help.
4 Safe Exercises When You Have Fractured Ribs — and What to Avoid
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Updated on July 31, 2025
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A rib fracture can be excruciatingly painful, interfering with something as basic as the ability to breathe. Severe fractures can even lead to a collapsed lung.

While exercise can help you recover from injuries more quickly, you should not exercise until you get the go-ahead from your doctor, who may recommend specific exercises.

The following can be done when you’re recovering from fractured ribs.

1. Deep-Breathing Exercises

Deep-breathing exercises can help prevent a collapsed lung in the first few days after your injury. Every two hours — or according to the schedule advised by your physician — breathe in slowly and deeply, filling your lungs.

Exhale slowly, and continue breathing deeply for two to three minutes. Next, gently cough several times, then breathe in deeply again. If the routine is too painful, ask your doctor for pain medication, or hold a pillow or towel over your fractured rib.

2. Gentle Cardio

Cardiovascular exercise helps keep your heart healthy, but it also increases your rate of breathing — a painful proposition for someone with a fractured rib. Try gentle cardio such as walking your dog or cycling at a slow, leisurely pace.

As you begin to recover, you can steadily increase the intensity of your routine by picking up your pace and increasing the length of your workout. If you have trouble breathing while performing broken-rib recovery exercises, talk to your doctor before doing any cardio.

3. Yoga or Pilates

Yoga may help to improve quality of life and pulmonary functions in people who experience chest trauma.

Try stretching your chest to alleviate pain by bending your elbows and extending them back toward your back. If you experience back pain from your rib fracture, get on all fours and arch your back, holding for 20 seconds. Then push the small of your back down toward the ground and hold for an additional 20 seconds.

4. Weight Training Exercises

Steer clear of workout machines such as the chest press that rely on your chest muscles. Instead, try low-intensity weight-bearing exercises such as squats, lunges, biceps curls, and leg presses.

As your pain subsides and your injuries begin to heal, you can begin incorporating elements of your old routine, but start slowly and avoid any exercises that cause pain in your ribs.

What to Avoid With Broken Ribs

Avoid contact sports for at least six weeks after a rib fracture. A blow to the chest or side can worsen the break and even collapse your lung.

Exercise routines that put you at risk of falling, such as jumping on a trampoline, are equally dangerous. You should also avoid starting a new workout routine or increasing the intensity of your current routine while your injury heals.

The Takeaway

  • Rib fractures are serious injuries, but it’s possible to stay active during your recovery.
  • Deep breathing, cardio, yoga, and weight training are all possible as long as the right precautions are taken.
  • Avoid contact sports for six weeks. Also avoid exercise routines that increase your risk of falling.

Resources We Trust

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Rib Fracture (Broken Rib). Cleveland Clinic. December 19, 2022.
  2. Gunjiganvi M et al. Yoga—An Alternative Form of Therapy in Patients with Blunt Chest Trauma: A Randomized Controlled Trial. World Journal of Surgery. March 18, 2021.
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Scott Haak, PT, DPT, MTC, CSCS

Medical Reviewer

Scott Haak, PT, DPT, has been a member of the Mayo Clinic staff since 2000. Dr. Haak serves as faculty for the Sports Medicine Fellowship program at Mayo Clinic Florida. He is certified by the NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) as a CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist), is a Certified USA Weightlifting Coach and Certified USA Football Coach, and possesses a MTC (Manual Therapy Certification) from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences.

Haak is an exercise enthusiast and enjoys running, weightlifting, and sports performance training. He is the president and director of coaching of a youth tackle football organization, JDL Providence Football, and currently coaches high school football and weight lifting.

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Van Thompson

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Van Thompson is an attorney and writer. A former martial arts instructor, he holds bachelor's degrees in music and computer science from Westchester University, and a juris doctor from Georgia State University. He is the recipient of numerous writing awards, including a 2009 CALI Legal Writing Award.

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