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How to Ease Leg Pain After Running
People often run for many reasons, including weight loss and cardiovascular health. However, running can also be hard on your legs and feet. Leg pain is a common problem that can occur after a run. There are a number of causes, but luckily there are ways to ease the discomfort from most types of leg pain. like shin splints , cramps, or sore muscles.
Types of Leg Pain After Running
- Tight muscles from running can cause pain when you stop.
- Shin splints are a common source of pain in the lower leg area. These can come from a bone structure that doesn’t support the weight of running well.
- Sore calves might be the sign of plantar fasciitis, which is an overuse injury caused by misalignment or other biomechanical problems. It’s important to have your feet checked out if you feel this kind of pain in your calf.
- Quadricepts and hamstrings are often very tight after exercising which could lead to this type of leg pain after running While these muscles help control movement while you run, they may also get pulled or grow too tense when exercising.
- Soreness and fatigue in your calves, quadriceps, hamstrings, iliotibial band (ITB), or Achilles tendon may be related to your form or speed.
- Discomfort in your shins or kneecaps might also indicate a problem with your gait, since these areas transfer weight from one foot to another during movement.
- Sore knees can actually come from a few different sources: arthritis , inflammation, incorrect knee alignment causing joint stress, and/or irritation of your knee cap.
More on How to Ease Knee Pain After Running
Before Exercise
Before exercise: Stretch out tight areas such as the quads and ITB. You should definitely warm up before exercising by walking around for 10 minutes.
After Exercise
Do some light stretches on the legs, focusing mostly on your calves and quads.
Pain relievers like ibuprofen or natural anti inflammatories like turmeric might help you feel better if you apply it to the sore areas soon after a workout.
Tips for Next Time
Make sure that your running shoes are well-fitted and not worn out, as they need enough material to absorb shock from repeated impact. As a rule of thumb, runners should replace their shoes every 300 miles or 5 months (whichever comes first). When you do run, try to keep a steady pace instead of going too slow or too fast. You should ideally be at 70% effort its entire duration. Avoid leaning forward into a heavy stride – this can increase the impact on your knees, which may lead to problems down the road. You should also consider backing off the running and do more low impact exercise.
Last Tip
Don’t overdo it. While a certain amount of pain is normal after a tough workout, if you feel severe or sharp pain during exercise, that’s not good and you should stop immediately.
Shin splints are a common source of pain in the lower leg area because there is often an overlap with other conditions such as plantar fasciitis or medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS). In addition, shin splints can be caused by low bone density, which may make some people more likely to experience them compared with others. A doctor might recommend changing your running routine and footwear to see if this helps relieve symptoms.
The material on this website is intended for educational information purposes only. It should not be seen as definitive, but as part of research process. It should not substitute or delay medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
