Bruises from exercise?

Canuckgirl77

Hi everyone,

I went for a walk on the beach the other day for about 1 hr & 15 mins - this is not abnormal for me as I usually can walk for a couple of hours without any problem. I would say the pace was slightly faster than leisurely.

There was nothing abnormal about this walk but I was feeling sore in my upper thigh/hip region after. It was the same type of soreness one would get when they've done exercise after a long time or if they've done something excessive. 2 days later I noticed that I have a couple of bruises (on both legs) in that same area that I was feeling sore.

I'm wondering if any of you have had a similar experience or have info to help. Is this something I should be concerned about?

Canuckgirl77

Saddened that no one replied... :-(

kathrynjean_

I don't understand how you could have bruised yourself from walking, unless you walked into something/fell down/hit yourself?

If you are bruising easily, this could be a sign of an iron deficiency. However, I also find that I tend to bruise more easily when eating at a calorie deficit.

Aed0416

I'm not sure about the bruising. But if you mean walking on the sand as opposed to the sidewalk or pavement or boardwalk I am not surprised that you are sore. I find running on sand much more difficult than road running.

rosebarnalice

I bruise like a banana--but there's always an "insult" that I can trace-- bumping into the edge of a table, kicking myself in the shin during Zumba, even bruised the inside of my wrist once banging on a pickle jar trying to open it! But I can't say I've every bruised just from exercise without there being some "thump" involved.

ummibrahimk

Bruising is related to blood platelets. Having a low platelet count can lead to bruising. When platelets are low bruises seem to appear "out of nowhere," but there is almost always some sort of contact... bumping into a door, bumping a hand into something, etc.

Iron deficiency/anemia in general does not lead to bruising because oxygen levels in the blood are not related to the platelets/bruising directly. However, those who are low in platelets often become anemic because they will bleed more prior to clotting.

@Canuckgirl77 If you have other bruises appear, or petechiae (small red dots that appear on the skin when platelets are low) you should definitely consult a doctor. If these bruises are a one time deal, perhaps you ran into something at that height (counter? table?) and forgot about it. Good luck.

Cherimoose

Do you take any medication, prescription or otherwise?

Mouse_Potato

I used to get mystery bruises like that. In my case, it turned out to be from carrying twelve packs of sodas in from grocery shopping. I was hitting the outside of my thighs just right to leave matching marks without really noticing the damage.

lorrpb

You bumped yourself elsewhere, the bruising hadn't shown up yet, and the walking aggravated it. It could've happened getting out of the car or something else mundane.

Canuckgirl77

Thanks for your replies!

@kathrynjean_ I totally didn’t think about the iron deficiency - I am severely anemic but have never experienced bruising before (without having bumped into something).

@Aed0416 – I was walking on the paved pathway, but I know what you mean about walking on sand. It takes much more effort to go the same distance.

@rosebarnalice – I agree, there’s usually some kind of “thump” involved, but I can’t for the life of me remember doing anything like that. I find it strange that the bruises are on both legs, in the same location.

@ummibrahimk – thanks for that info about platelets and oxygen levels! You must be right – there must’ve been a counter that I contacted a bit too hard. I will look out for more bruises or petechiae now that I know about those.

@Cherimoose – I take synthroid and iron supplements. But I have been on these for years.