2025-04-14 11:23:26 EDT

M: My friend has a pulled muscle in her side that is being slow to heal; she wants to see a doctor, so it shouldn’t be anything more serious than that. She’s trying to lose weight, and really the only exercise she enjoys enough to do it on a regular basis is swimming.She just joined place that has swimming available. How can she balance those two problems?

G: Here’s a TL;DR-style summary:

TL;DR: She should swim in a low-intensity, low-resistance way (e.g., slow laps, backstroke, or water walking) to stay active without straining her side. She should avoid twisting or fast movements until the muscle heals. A physical therapist or sports doctor can give tailored guidance, especially if she wants to keep swimming regularly during recovery.

Expanded version (if wanted):

Pulled muscles in the side (often obliques or intercostals) can get aggravated by twisting or sudden torso movements. Swimming can help or hurt, depending on the style and intensity:

Safe styles: Backstroke or gentle freestyle with minimal torso rotation. Water walking or light aqua aerobics can also be great low-impact options.
Avoid: Butterfly stroke, flip turns, or aggressive freestyle that involves a lot of twisting.
Tips:
- Warm up in the water with stretches and easy movements.
- If she feels even mild pain during a stroke, she should pause or switch.
- She can use a kickboard to work on legs without involving the torso.

Even with a pulled muscle, light swimming can maintain fitness and promote blood flow, which may actually help healing—so long as it’s not painful. If the muscle keeps flaring up, a short break combined with guided rehab might be smarter than pushing through.

Want specific swimming routines she can try or avoid?