What exercises are suitable after a leg muscle injury?

It is important to first rest your leg for one or two days after a muscle strain injury affecting your thigh or calf. After that it’s best to slowly start doing mobilizing exercises, and then gradually increase the intensity. You can start with normal use in daily life and in sports shortly after that.
Muscle strain injuries usually heal by themselves, with no need for medications or surgery. After a short rest, it is a good idea to start off with adapted exercises and not to keep your leg still for too long at a time. Carrying out the exercises cautiously can help the muscles to regenerate. It is important that you’re able to do the exercises with nearly no pain. A mild twinge is not a problem.
The load put on the muscle is then gradually increased. Along with exercises to improve strength and mobility, exercises to stabilize the torso and improve physical awareness can be a good idea. They are also important to prevent more injuries, because the risk of having another muscle strain is particularly high after a recent muscle injury. You can talk to your physical therapist or doctor to find out which exercises are suitable for you.
Exercises that stretch the muscle while it is being contracted are referred to as “eccentric” exercises. That can help to strengthen the leg muscles, for instance. Eccentric exercises are very often used to treat muscle injuries: They are suitable both for gradually increasing the stress put on the muscle following an injury as well as for preventing (repeat) muscle strains.
You can try out the following eccentric exercises if you have an injury on the back of your thigh (hamstring) – you won't need any special equipment or other knowledge.