Calves becoming very sore

melissa112
melissa112 Posts: 99 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm on day 4 of 30DS. After yesterday I felt very sore in my calf. Almost felt as if it was bruised just below where the bigger bit of your calf muscle is, felt as if it was going to get cramp.

I did todays workout, but after doing the jump rope cardio bit both calves felt the same, as if I was going to get cramp. it's a very different 'pain' to when I'm doing squats etc and working muscles so I know something is wrong.

I've just done the cool down and added in a couple of calf stretches but they are still quite tender to touch. Any advice would be really appreciated.

Replies

  • melissa112
    melissa112 Posts: 99 Member
    Sorry to bump but any ideas really would be gratefully received. I do want to carry on tomorrow with the 30DS but no idea why my calves feel like they do. The outside of the bottom of my left arm feels the same, where the bone is. Can hardly lift it yet my other is fine and it doesn't feel like a muscle workout, just like I've strained it. Not exactly a place I can stretch though!
  • alipene
    alipene Posts: 945 Member
    I wonder if you've pulled your soleus muscles (calves)? I did that when running. Try Googling that.
  • risak
    risak Posts: 79 Member
    Sounds like you need to take a rest day and do some longer stretches. Maybe even a good massage on your calf.

    My PT gave me a "slant board" which is a very nice gentle way of stretching out your calves.

    http://www.crookedhuman.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/5d36c78e590628f110cf3b04927bcfbb/s/l/slantboard-wood.jpg
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    The benefit of exercise comes from the rest after you have loaded your body.

    You need to rest so it can recovery and repair stronger for the next time you overload it.

    If you don't, then you did not get full benefit from all your hard work done, some level of wasted effort then.

    Keep trying to go and your body will make sure you take a rest eventually, usually much longer than what you would like.
  • melissa112
    melissa112 Posts: 99 Member
    Thanks! I'll take a rest tomorrow then. I'll still have to walk my dog though, would that make things worse? We take it pretty slow as she has bad legs too!
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Thanks! I'll take a rest tomorrow then. I'll still have to walk my dog though, would that make things worse? We take it pretty slow as she has bad legs too!

    Blood flow is good, adding more load on top of muscle trying to repair is bad.

    You may be describing the achilles tendon though, which attaches your calf muscle to your foot. That is really bad to have a problem with. As you said, right under the calf but not feeling as muscular.
    http://www.exrx.net/Muscles/Gastrocnemius.html

    Just standing straight up, if you bend knee out to drop down and get stretch, do you really feel it then, more than the drop heel stretch on stair?
    That is tight achilles then, and once it feels better, you may need to do walking warmup before exercise and do that stretch, and really afterwards.
  • doc500
    doc500 Posts: 5
    My advice, is to take a rest day.. Walking your dog at a leisurely pace is fine. Rolling out the muscles with a foam roller would be ideal. This way, the muscles are stimulated and massaged out. You are probably on the verge of tearing the muscle.
  • matt2442
    matt2442 Posts: 1,259 Member
    Foam roll them
  • melissa112
    melissa112 Posts: 99 Member
    Its definitely below the bigger bit of my calf muscle, really hope its not bad. Will one rest day be enough? I don't really want to do more but I also don't want a big injury.

    What is a foam roller? I've not heard of them. It feels a little better today.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Its definitely below the bigger bit of my calf muscle, really hope its not bad. Will one rest day be enough? I don't really want to do more but I also don't want a big injury.

    What is a foam roller? I've not heard of them. It feels a little better today.

    Could be achilles tendon, which takes more to hurt, and takes longer to heal, as tendons normally are.

    Obviously the bad injury is where it snaps and with a break like that, takes a year or more to recover back to prior state.

    So feel with stretches if it still feel too tight and hurting, in which case you probably need to allow healing.

    Foam roller - Any sporting good store, even Walmart and Target actually, Google of course shows pictures too.

Categories