Find out the list of reasons why your calves hurt a lot after running on a regular basis and how to prevent this unbearable pain. It's no secret that jogging is an affordable and effective way to lose weight. It is quite understandable why many people choose it for the solution of the task at hand. Beginners sometimes report that they have pain in their calves after running. Today we will look at the reasons for this phenomenon and tell you what to do in such a situation.
Calf pain after running: causes
Calf pain after running can occur for a variety of reasons, and now we'll look at the most common ones.
Violation of running technique
Running only at first glance seems to be a simple sport, but in practice it is necessary to observe the technique of performing movements. It is because of its violation that pain in the calves often appears after running. Here are the main mistakes beginner runners make:
- Running on tiptoes - Landing a leg on this part of the foot may cause injury. The point is that the shock load cannot be evenly distributed between the knee joints and calves. To avoid trouble, you need to lower your foot to the ground with your whole foot.
- Long landings - only intermittent and frequent jumps, during which the body is raised above the ground to a small height, can be considered safe for the leg.
- Strong leg ejections - to increase the speed when running, you do not need to lengthen the throw of the legs. It is much more effective and safer to accelerate the frequency of movement of the limbs.
- The body is tilted forward - you must remember that while running, the body should be in a strictly vertical plane, and the gaze should be directed forward.
When you run, the leg muscles tense up, which slows down blood flow. As a result, they do not receive the necessary nutrients, and the lactic acid is not washed out. If you want to get rid of pain in your calves after running, then your core should be the initiator of movement. To do this, lift the body higher as you inhale and draw in your stomach. At the same time, the legs should be relaxed and moved as if they were suspended. Also note that the load on the legs increases when driving over rough terrain.
Running shoes
Calf muscle problems can be associated with improperly selected shoes. The best choice would be sneakers that have a consistent sole throughout the entire length. It is important to remember that running shoes must reliably fix the foot, which will allow you to avoid micro-injuries. You should not buy sneakers "for growth", they should correspond to the current size of your feet.
Today, all sportswear manufacturers produce running shoes designed for different types of surfaces. It allows you to achieve maximum comfort for your feet while moving. But even in this situation, blood microcirculation can be impaired if you wear tight socks or compression socks. The best option is to wear sneakers on bare feet. This will allow you to relieve the pain in your calves after running.
Residents of cities often jog on asphalt, and this fact can be one of the reasons for the appearance of heaviness in the legs. Also, running on sand or rough terrain for a long time can have a negative effect on the legs. Novice runners can be encouraged to train on dirt tracks such as school stadiums.
Food and water
With a decrease in the rate of metabolic processes, the likelihood of pain in the calves after running increases. It is very important to design your nutritional program so that vitamins C and B, as well as potassium, calcium and phosphorus are present. You need vitamin E to strengthen the walls of your blood vessels.
Water is equally important. Everyone knows that the human body is 80 percent composed of this substance. Water helps to eliminate toxins and salts, and also speeds up the processes of tissue repair after exercise. If you feel pain in your calves after running, we recommend increasing the amount of water you drink per day to 3 liters.
Abrupt stops while running
When you jog, try to avoid sudden stops. Slowly slow down and start walking. When your workout is over, don't stop right away. You must keep moving until your heart rate returns to normal.
Women's specificity
Girls, who often use high-heeled shoes in everyday life, have one feature - their calf muscles are somewhat shortened. When they put on sneakers, they may feel discomfort and pain in their calves.
To avoid this, we recommend constantly doing muscle stretching exercises. This is quite simple to do, for example, when climbing stairs, step on the second step so that your heels hang down. Then lower the heel of your other foot and stretch.
Do two or three sets of this exercise for 8-10 reps. In addition, we recommend taking a bike ride or using an exercise bike between runs.
Heavy loads
Many beginners are confident that the greater the load, the faster they will achieve their goals. However, in practice, everything happens the other way around - with excessive exertion, pain in the calves appears after running.
Overweight problems
It is quite understandable that many people start running just to get rid of those extra pounds. However, if the problem of excess weight is serious, then it is worth starting with hiking. During running, the joints and muscles have a strong load, which increases significantly under the influence of excess weight. First, you should lose a few pounds by walking at a fast pace, and then you can start running.
What to do if calf pain occurs after running?
When you feel muscle pain after exercise, you can do the following:
- Take a warm shower, directing a stream of water to your feet while massaging your feet for several minutes. In addition, you can take a warm bath or visit the bath (sauna) to relax your muscles.
- Take a lying position on the couch and lift your legs perpendicular to the ground for 10 minutes. As a result, blood flow in the lower extremities normalizes and pains will pass faster.
- After a workout, do not strain your leg muscles for an hour so that they recover.
- Self-massage the calf muscles, moving in the direction of the heart muscle.
How to run correctly so that no pain occurs?
Most often, beginners experience such problems, and we recommend that you use a gentle training regimen for the first one or two weeks. This requires the following:
- Stick to a slow pace - start with walking, so that the body is prepared for the upcoming stress.
- Be moderate - your very first run should be five to ten minutes long. Do a maximum of three workouts per week. The time of classes should increase gradually and somewhere in the 3rd week it should be half an hour.
- Stop gradually - we have already said that after running, you cannot stop abruptly. This not only leads to the accumulation of lactic acid (one of the factors in the appearance of pain in the calves after running), but also negatively affects the heart muscle.
- Warm-up should be the norm for you. - never start an activity without a warm-up. This applies to any sport.
To strengthen the calf muscles, experts recommend using backward running at a distance of 100 to 200 meters.
Calf pain after running: prevention
The following tips can help you avoid pain in your calf muscles:
- Do not use excessive loads. Jogging at a slow pace will not only reduce the risk of pain, but it will also be more effective in terms of burning fat.
- Before each lesson, a warm-up should be carried out, and after completion - a cool-down.
- Shoes and clothing should not cause discomfort.
- The movement should involve not only the lower limbs, but also the body, hips and arms. Moreover, their participation in running should be active.
- If you have chronic pathologies in the joints, muscles or blood vessels, consult your doctor before starting jogging.
- Do not end your run with an abrupt stop.
- To relax the muscles and eliminate the risk of pain, take a warm shower (bath) or visit the sauna (bath) after exercise. Massage is an excellent means of preventing pain.
- After completing the training, you should drink a liquid. It can be not only drinking water, but also juice or compote.
Folk recipes and medication for pain in the calves after running
For relieving pain, suppressing fatigue and inflammation, menthol ointments are an excellent remedy. These drugs have a cooling effect. If the pain cannot be tolerated, then it is worth using anesthetics. Compresses with herbal infusions can be no less effective.
To prepare such a compress, herbs must be soaked in warm water. Also add solutions of lime blossom and mint to them. When you immerse your feet in the resulting solution, you will feel relief in a quarter of an hour. Note that such procedures, carried out daily, can be an excellent means of preventing varicose veins. We also recommend using pine needles baths. As soon as you feel pain in your calves after running, place ice cubes on this area of your feet.
If you experience pain all the time, and it lasts for a long time, then you should seek the advice of a doctor. There is a possibility that the pain is caused by some pathology. For example, inflammatory processes can be a consequence of the development of an infectious disease of bone tissue or osteomyelitis.
If you feel pain in the foot area for a long time, then it is possible that a crack has formed on the bone or the calf muscles are damaged. Such injuries are not uncommon when running technique is violated. To diagnose the presence of diseases of the musculoskeletal system, it is enough to take an X-ray.
In conclusion, I would like to say that running is useful at any age. However, training must be organized correctly, and the athlete must follow the technique of movement. Do not forget about the importance of nutrition, because this is the only way to put into the body all the nutrients that are necessary for recovery. Follow our guidelines and your classes will become more effective and safer. This way you can improve your health and lose weight.
For more information on why your legs hurt after running, see below:
