[lilimarie143]

I pulled my quad muscle recently in a soccer game, but I still want to work out as part of a my weight loss plan... any suggestions on workouts that wouldn't put a lot of strain on my leg?

[kp2171]

As for the injury itself, immediately after you need to follow the R.I.C.E. principle... Rest it, Ice it, use Compression, and Elevate. Start immediately with light stretching, and keep this up over the following days of rehab.

To help rehab that muscle you can begin to work it in a controlled manner, by simply squeezing it. Put your legs out in front on you, sitting on the floor, and simply contract the muscle over and over... 20-30 times to start. Do a few sets of these each day if you can. Then you can increase the reps or strengh of contraction. You can vary this by pushing the straight leg down into the ground, with multiple reps again.

You can also do other quad exercises such as sitting leg extensions where you sit in a chair with feet flat on the ground and simply use the quad to lift your leg up by straightening it. You might want someone to support your leg at first until you are comfortable you can do this without spasms, and you also can stop short of full elevation.

And again, stretch that muscle out well several times a day.

As for your question, how to keep up your workout without stressing this muscle, swimming can get you good cardio to keep up your metabolism and you can minimize the movement of the leg, especially if you focus on upper body movement and reduce all lower body kicks... just have to watch if you are prone to cramping right now and preferably work in a guarded pool. Also, watch doing too much extra work on the "good" side (isolated kicks for ex) in that sometimes you can stress your other side since it is taking up some slack from the weak side. I know that tends to happen with me if I get a pull/tear... a few days later the other side aches because your gait is different and then you are stressing the other side.

You can probably do some stationary bike with light resistance if you can do some of the other quad isometric exercises I mentioned before. If needed, use your hands to help pump, and again, don't overdo it. You need to work that muscle in a controlled manner.

Use leg wraps/compression bandages to help reduce swelling immediately after injury, but also help prevent muscle "rebound" injury... that phenomenon that occurs when you take a step where the muscle shifts down, but then "bounces" back up again. Almost every time I've had a second injury to a muscle that's been pulled, its due to this rebounding, and wrapping the muscle comfortably has always seemed to help me get through the injury and prevent another, as I tend to wear it during sports for a month or so after I think I'm better.

Despite the fact I workout a lot, I am prone to getting a quad/hamstring/calf tear about once every 1-1.5 years, this despite the fact I hydrate well and I stretch daily. I'm just prone to it, so I keep a compression roll in my workout bag all the time, as it can immediately help.

And be patient... I've had severe tears take over a month to really be decent, and even then I wasn't 100%.

So don't be afraid to work that leg in a controlled manner. It's a common part of physical therapy for that pull.

And don't think you can't get a workout with upper body movements. Punches, jabs, uppercuts, speedbag drill can all get you breathing if you do several sets in quick count.