Advice for exercise that will rest my injured thigh?

[JammyQueenOfTheSewers]

On Friday I picked DD up and felt (almost heard!) a muscle at the top of my right thigh go ping Friday night was agony, but Sat & Sun it eased up a fair bit (with the help of rest, a little bit of gentle strolling, nurofen, a hot bath and a hot water bottle) and yesterday and today has been mostly OK, but every now and then I feel my thigh "buckle" for a moment as I'm walking.

I missed my usual gym session on Saturday and swim on Sunday to give it some rest, but want to go to the gym tomorrow. I don't know that I'll be able to do my normal circuit which includes lots of squats and lunges though. I'm going to ask an instructor for advice, but am thinking more seated arm weights and a good session on a mat to do plenty of abdo work? Just want to be doing something really as am 12 weeks into a healthy living thing which has been going really well and would like to keep to the routine of going to gym even if the activities have to change.

Any other suggestions?

hi Jammy! sounds like a torn muscle - is it the middle of the quads? - that one's easier to damage than you might imagine.

Doing the upper body and abs stuff sounds like a plan, but make sure that even in the abdo stuff your leg is in a position where it isn't going to get further strained. IMHO a trainer is likely to say "you not doing it on my insurance, mate" and a muscle which is actually torn will take 6 weeks to fix. Never mind the bravado, you really need to get the injury checked out as there are lots more things that could go 'ping' and need different treatment beyond rest and painkillers.
Sorry if I'm nagging / sounding like I reckon I know it all - I'm not doing either!

Hi gigglewitch. Yeah, I suspect it is a torn muscle. It's at he top of the thigh, but not so up that it's into the groin IYSWIM, and slightly inwards of centre.

And yes, I am afraid that I might be advised to just rest it, but I am going to go ask. I've now got into the habit of gym twice a week (with swimming once a week and some exercise at home once a week too) that I'm loathe to give that up and then have to get back into the habit later. However, I don't want to make things worse in the long run either [sigh]. Good point about leg position when doing abdo work though - thanks

it is a difficult one, but please believe me that rest (as frustrating as it is) is the only way to repair muscle damage. Having had a couple of injuries where I got impatient and didn't rest, years later they still niggle. The ones where you accept that a few weeks of minimal use is in order, the rest and then a structured re-train is by far the quickest way back to fitness. Am just doing big brainstorm to think of something else which would rest the injury but keep the rest of you fit - tbh I think you have picked the best two things. Gentle walking around an hour after you have been to the gym or pool will make sure that no 'nasties' - lactic acid and such - stay sitting in your muscles. Vitamin C is alleged to help muscle injuries to heal, as does gentle massage - hit the oranges, girl!

Well I went and had a chat with the instructor, telling her exactly what had happened. She said it was good that I'd had a few days proper rest and suggested I take the weights out of my circuits, so I just do the motion using my own body weight, and only do as much as is comfortable, stopping if anything hurts. She suggested using one of the bikes where you lean back and have your legs in front of you for the warm up and cardio parts as they put less strain on the legs, and again take it gently, and do plenty of gentle stretches before and after the circuits.

So I did 10 mins gentle warm up on the bike, some stretches, 2 gentle circuits with no weights (I normally do 3 with weights), 5 mins on the bike, some abs work and some more stretches. So apart from not being able to lunge onto the injured leg, I did pretty much what I normally do but at a reduced level And my leg feels great - it only hurt a little bit as I finished on the bike, and I walked 3/4 mile each way to our children's centre with DD afterwards with no twinges at all

good to hear that lot - how's it doing now? Sorry I haven't been back for aaages, I've had a "long weekend" away with DH - (our anniversary, we only get the one weekend child-free a year lol)
Sounds like you have a very sensible and well trained instructor