Owww muscle strains. Advice please!

On Tuesday, I went to my very first Spinning class. It was a great workout! It was an hour long and I felt like I must have burned a ton of calories!
Fast forward to a few hours later and the front of my thighs started to ache, as expected since it was my first class of this sort. Fast forward to yesterday and my legs were even more sore and it hurt when I would squat, sit down, or stand up. Now today they are so sore that I feel like they are going to give out on me when I walk. I have had to lock my knees on many occasions just walking around the house to keep from crumbling.
Is this normal over exertion? I get that I worked too hard and blah blah blah I've learned my lesson but now I have a problem that I need to fix.

I've been taking 400mg of Ibuprofen 3 times a day and have been resting with my legs up as often as is possible for the mother of two toddlers.
What else can I do? Ice helps for a few minutes but then my muscles seem to hurt even worse.

Any advice is much appreciated:)

I may be wrong about this, but I've heard Potassium will help. I did something similar years ago, but it was my inner thighs I strained. First time back to the gym in a long time and I over did it. OUCH! I just dealt with it. It only hurt for a few days. I was limping around.
But, you have children you need to attend to. So I hope you can find a solution to help you feel better. Maybe a hot bath?...which doesn't sound good to me since it's very hot here.
Good luck!

I was going to say a hot bath too.

When I was a jogger (1 1/2 hours a day) I hurt really bad at first. I always took a really hot bath and I always put baby oil in with it.. Hope it helps!

It will stop hurting after a while:D

Cold to bring swelling down. Then heat to relieve the strain.;)

Feel better!

And when you go spinning again, start slow. 20 minutes at a time for a week, then build up to an hour over the next several weeks.

Some stretches after spinning might also help.

Yeah, I know how you feel. I strained the muscle(s?) in my back a couple days ago and it just killlsss. I went to the doctor today, because yesterday, I was at work and the pain almost dropped me to my knees a few times; it was hard to breathe, stand or walk. He told me because of the location of pain and the symptoms, its most likely a strained muscle and I have to take 3 ibuprofen and 1 vicodin every 4 hours. :eek:

He told me to ice my back, so I'm sure if you're having the same problems with your thighs and legs, ice would work! Get better soon!

800 mgs WITH food x 3 a day, if no better to the doctor on monday...hope this helps....;)(assuming you have no other medical issues that is...)

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Originally Posted by moosmom

Cold to bring swelling down. Then heat to relieve the strain.;)

Feel better!

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Just what I was gonna say, Dr. Donna!
30+ years of physical therapy taught me well.

thanks everybody :) I've been using ice and keeping up with the ibuprofen. It doesn't seem to be doing anything but I guess I just have to be patient :o If it feels the same in the morning as it does tonight I may go ahead and call my doctor anyway. I can't believe that I did this to BOTH legs. If it was just one then I could limp around but with both of them hurting this bad I'm just out of luck:o

I can assure you, as sure as I lay here on my couch, still overweight and out of shape from Jonah nearly four years ago, it is muscle strain, and it will go away on its own, without medical intervention.

If you have a stationary bike, ride it for ten minutes- no matter how much it burns. If you can stomach it, go for a really light jog. You just need to loosen up the tightened muscles a little bit.

Next time, try not to get the last year's exercise all done in one day. :D

You may not be able to do this....

Cold water. I'd turn the hose on and run the water over my legs.

Then I'd give myself a 'massage' - take you hands and push the muscles towards your knees. From your hips down and your ankles up.

Don't try to keep up with the instructor until you have a few weeks of spinning in. You just did too much too soon.

When I used to teach exercise and aerobics classes, I always told my students that they would probably not feel much the first day. It's the second and third days that they'd want to stick pins in a Mary doll. Any time you work a muscle group that hasn't been exerted to such an extent, this will happen. The absolute best thing you can do to ease the pain and soreness is to take a hot bath w/Epsom salts. It helps to rid your body of built up lactic acid, which is the cause of your soreness. Good luck and good for you for taking a spinning class, girl!

Icy Hot or Bengay or some other topical might provide some relief and help you sleep. At work I have to walk up this steep hill, and it was really beating up my ankles until I got used to it, and Icy Hot worked really well. (End of commercial.;)) I hope you feel better.

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Originally Posted by Cataholic

I can assure you, as sure as I lay here on my couch, still overweight and out of shape from Jonah nearly four years ago, it is muscle strain, and it will go away on its own, without medical intervention.

If you have a stationary bike, ride it for ten minutes- no matter how much it burns. If you can stomach it, go for a really light jog. You just need to loosen up the tightened muscles a little bit.

Next time, try not to get the last year's exercise all done in one day. :D

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I agree with the "keep moving" idea, It might sound like torture, but it
really helps in the long run. Sore muscles can get tight without some
after workout.

They still hurt terribly tonight:(:( I have been keeping my normal activities as much as possible but with Ginger unable to go for our evening walks/jogs because of her spay, I haven't been going either. I put a heating pad on my legs while I was watching a movie tonight and that was bliss for a while until I went to stand up and toppled right over.
Thanks for all of the advice. I am trying everything that you guys suggest and will pick up some Epsom salts tomorrow if I'm not any better:)

It may sound crazy, but I can't wait until I am healthy again and can go to a Beginners spin class:D

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Originally Posted by Sirrahsim

They still hurt terribly tonight:(:( I have been keeping my normal activities as much as possible but with Ginger unable to go for our evening walks/jogs because of her spay, I haven't been going either. I put a heating pad on my legs while I was watching a movie tonight and that was bliss for a while until I went to stand up and toppled right over.
Thanks for all of the advice. I am trying everything that you guys suggest and will pick up some Epsom salts tomorrow if I'm not any better:)

It may sound crazy, but I can't wait until I am healthy again and can go to a Beginners spin class:D

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As each day passes, your soreness will become less and less. If you should get sore again for whatever reason, use the Epsom salts right away. Removing the lactic acid from your muscles is important. And it doesn't sound crazy to want to go back to spin class. When I first started kickboxing, I was so sore that I wouldn't even talk, no kidding. And I went back for more. :p