Why Do My Legs Ache After Running? What Should I Do?
Running leg soreness is caused by lactic acid accumulation, which can be relieved through proper running posture, long-term regular running, strengthening leg strength training, stretching and relaxation, massage, and other methods. Running leg soreness is particularly common in daily life, mainly due to the fact that patients do not often participate in physical exercise in daily life, and suddenly perform intense exercise one day, resulting in a large amount of lactic acid produced in the muscles of the legs. Excessive lactic acid will stimulate the leg muscles and cause soreness. Here are some methods to deal with running leg soreness:
1. Develop proper running posture and adhere to regular running for a long time. During the running process, regardless of how much the body reacts to exercise, always strive to maintain the correct running posture. However, don't expect to learn it immediately, as the correct running posture also needs to be cultivated through a large amount of running practice, and it cannot be mastered just by reading these points. A certain amount of running is also a basic condition for eliminating calf soreness. With a guaranteed amount of running, you can constantly adjust your running posture, enhance the coordination of your legs during running, and at the same time improve your physical fitness and cardiopulmonary function, which can naturally relieve and eliminate calf soreness.
2. Strengthen leg strength training. Many runners only focus on running and do not perform strength training, or have never considered performing leg strength training. Through leg muscle strength training, better protection and stability can be provided for leg joints, bones, and ligaments, and the risk of running injuries can be significantly reduced. It is also beneficial for reducing discomfort in the calf muscles.
3. Stretch and relax. This includes warming up and stretching before running, as well as stretching, relaxing, and organizing after running. Adequate warming up can activate joints, muscles, and internal organs, increase body temperature, prepare the body for subsequent long-distance running, and facilitate faster entry into the exercise state. Targeted leg muscle stretching before running can improve muscle flexibility, reduce stickiness, and help prevent muscle soreness during long-distance running.
4. Massage. If the calf muscles feel sore and swollen during running to the point of being unbearable, the most direct method is to slowly stop, find a suitable place by the side, directly press and beat the sore and tight muscle areas with your hands, and walk back and forth while alternately shaking the calf muscles. This can effectively relieve tension in the affected areas. In addition to stretching and relaxing after exercise, dedicating a specific time the next day to perform leg massages is also a main way to eliminate muscle soreness. Massage can promote blood circulation in the leg muscles, effectively eliminate tension and aid in the recovery of injuries. The massaged muscle areas may even feel a sense of rejuvenation and relaxation.
