Restless legs and exercise

sabichu
sabichu Posts: 61
in Fitness and Exercise
Does anyone else suffer from restless legs syndrome? If so, how do you deal with the pains after workouts? And how severe is your pain? I currently have a cold, mild dull and numbing pain in both my legs after I finished my aerobics today. It's not too bad considering I used to get pains much much worse from just walking. Maybe the exercise is helping!

Replies

  • lhergenr
    lhergenr Posts: 242 Member
    doing the calf stretch shown in this link helps me!
    http://www.alignedandwell.com/katysays/henry-free-zone/
  • SherryGirl
    SherryGirl Posts: 40
    Yes, I have RLS too. I find the more I exercise and keep a routine it does help. I found Magnesium helps, but I am not a doctor. I got this last spring after I had a flair up with my MS. I now take med's for it to assist in gaining control of it. Which is helping along with the exercise. If I don't exercise I really suffer that night with pain.....
  • Bakkasan
    Bakkasan Posts: 1,027 Member
    I get it of course just as I am trying to sleep in bed, never anywhere else. Exercise doesn't help me.
  • myersfawn
    myersfawn Posts: 4
    I don't get the pain but do have issues with RLS (I call it crazy legs) in evenings.... Diet drinks, or artificial sweetners are the cause for me. If I avoid them completely I have no issues, but when I have a large diet soda it will hit me. So I drink tonic water. It has quinine which cures the crazy legs with in 30 minutes.... I only drink 2-3 oz. I can't take the taste so I mix it with 2 or 3 oz of margarita drink mix (non alcoholic).....
    Hope this helps someone!! :tongue:
  • professorRAT
    professorRAT Posts: 690 Member
    Yes, I have RLS too. I find the more I exercise and keep a routine it does help. I found Magnesium helps, but I am not a doctor. I got this last spring after I had a flair up with my MS. I now take med's for it to assist in gaining control of it. Which is helping along with the exercise. If I don't exercise I really suffer that night with pain.....

    Same here. At first, exercise made it worse. Also, every once in a while a good leg heavy weight workout will flare it up that night. BUT the longer I stuck with regular exercise the less often I had symptoms. I have been working out 5x a week for about 8 years now and I rarely have symptoms anymore. I would say it dramatically improved after a year or two of regular exercise. Stick with it! I started magnesium supplement a year or so ago for IBS-constipation and it has helped even further with the RLS. I also agree that calf stretches can help.

    My poor mom has a terrible time with RLS. She does not exercise, though. I feel very bad for her as it is really a problem and she does not sleep well because of it. I never had symptoms as severe as hers. There are medications that may help if you really have a problem with it. Talk to a neurologist if that is the case.
  • maadazahatter
    maadazahatter Posts: 2
    I also used to get restless legs...but I stumbled upon "The Magnesium Miracle" while looking for a natural way to control blood pressure. I started taking magnesium, and the restless legs stopped and also as a side effect, the migraines that I have suffered with since I was 8, have stopped....I am not a doctor..I just know what worked for me.
  • sabichu
    sabichu Posts: 61
    Thanks everyone for your replies! Haven't managed to check the topic since I posted it lol. I've come across some other people mentioning how magnesium helps, also potassium. I'm currently on Iron tablets which initially lessened my RLS, but since I've been working out the pains slowly were creeping back too. I've made an appointment with the doctor so hopefully they'll suggest a few things. In the last two days the pains have lessened again and I think it's because I've continued to exercise. I had some real bad arm pain yesterday but after working out it intensified then went within about 10 minutes. I'll see how this goes!
  • mommycordillia
    mommycordillia Posts: 259
    I have RLS and controlling my diet and cutting out all the artificial stuff helped so much. After working out once I have no problems but if I do 3 or 4 days in a row at the gym then I get pretty bad pain for a day...
  • rachel4304
    rachel4304 Posts: 115 Member
    Another vote for trying magnesium. I take a magnesium/calcium supplement each night and it seems to help.
  • ChristiCare
    ChristiCare Posts: 179 Member
    I know everybody's case is different but I would just like to share what worked for me, and has made such a huge difference in my life. From June 2012-until Dec 2012 my RLS had gotten so severe that all I could picture was a future of hell. I had gotten to the point that I feared going to bed because I knew what was coming. I would go to bed about 10:00, by 10:30pm I was in pain until about 5:00am. This was an everynight thing. The shaking and twitching was sometimes very minimal and sometimes to the point that I would just get so frustrated all I could do was cry. there were a few nights that I had gotten up to walk and only made it a short distance before my husband had to help me back to bed. Things had gotten severe, I had tried many pain pills, Parkinsons medications, Seizure medications, nothing would even touch it. it was like my brain didn't know I took it. I tried pain pills, sleeping pills, (not at the same time), I was to the point of wanting to take shots and pass out. Although I am not a drinker, It scared me to think that I was even considering such a thing.
    Then after a suggestion from my best friend I went to a chiropractor. I thought it was the dumbest idea in the world. After 2 weeks I was a believer. Now this Dr was not one that used the twist you up method, he used a device that basicly thumped you on the needed areas. (It didn't hurt) Not to say this was easy after about the first week my back was pretty sore from the adjustments,and there was a day that my joints all swelled to the point I was ready to throw in the towel, (I literally could not get up without help, and had very little use of my hands because they were swelled so severly) but I had nothing to loose. I was also cutting out the soda and the Dr said it may have been a detox reaction to the sugar in the pop or may have been a reaction to the adjustments. The swelling lasted about 3 days. Two of them were very tolerable.
    Since the swelling went down I have been 100% new person. I have had no trouble with my legs. I haven't taken any RLS medication since the first of the year. I don't get it, I don't understand it, and to be honest I don't care. All I know is it worked. I can sit and watch tv, play cards, and ever ride in a car again without issues. No matter how much i excercise that day.
    Might I also add I would never have thought there was ever anything with my back, it didn't hurt, I am very flexable (for a 42 year old), I just would never have thought my spine being out of align as little as it was could do so much harm.

    I know this isn't 100% of what you topic was, but I just wanted to share with those that it may help as well.
    All I can say is life is wonderful now..

    feel free to add me as a friend if you want to share RLS information
  • sabichu
    sabichu Posts: 61
    I know everybody's case is different but I would just like to share what worked for me, and has made such a huge difference in my life. From June 2012-until Dec 2012 my RLS had gotten so severe that all I could picture was a future of hell. I had gotten to the point that I feared going to bed because I knew what was coming. I would go to bed about 10:00, by 10:30pm I was in pain until about 5:00am. This was an everynight thing. The shaking and twitching was sometimes very minimal and sometimes to the point that I would just get so frustrated all I could do was cry. there were a few nights that I had gotten up to walk and only made it a short distance before my husband had to help me back to bed. Things had gotten severe, I had tried many pain pills, Parkinsons medications, Seizure medications, nothing would even touch it. it was like my brain didn't know I took it. I tried pain pills, sleeping pills, (not at the same time), I was to the point of wanting to take shots and pass out. Although I am not a drinker, It scared me to think that I was even considering such a thing.
    Then after a suggestion from my best friend I went to a chiropractor. I thought it was the dumbest idea in the world. After 2 weeks I was a believer. Now this Dr was not one that used the twist you up method, he used a device that basicly thumped you on the needed areas. (It didn't hurt) Not to say this was easy after about the first week my back was pretty sore from the adjustments,and there was a day that my joints all swelled to the point I was ready to throw in the towel, (I literally could not get up without help, and had very little use of my hands because they were swelled so severly) but I had nothing to loose. I was also cutting out the soda and the Dr said it may have been a detox reaction to the sugar in the pop or may have been a reaction to the adjustments. The swelling lasted about 3 days. Two of them were very tolerable.
    Since the swelling went down I have been 100% new person. I have had no trouble with my legs. I haven't taken any RLS medication since the first of the year. I don't get it, I don't understand it, and to be honest I don't care. All I know is it worked. I can sit and watch tv, play cards, and ever ride in a car again without issues. No matter how much i excercise that day.
    Might I also add I would never have thought there was ever anything with my back, it didn't hurt, I am very flexable (for a 42 year old), I just would never have thought my spine being out of align as little as it was could do so much harm.

    I know this isn't 100% of what you topic was, but I just wanted to share with those that it may help as well.
    All I can say is life is wonderful now..

    feel free to add me as a friend if you want to share RLS information

    Wow! You had to go through such an ordeal! I'm so sad to hear that it got so bad :( I've never heard of a treatment like that before but it worked! I'm glad to say my RLS isn't that bad and has been improving with diet, better nutrition and daily exercise. I spoke to my doctor about it and she suggested that I keep up with what I'm doing but not to push myself too much with exercise.
  • LernRach
    LernRach Posts: 286 Member
    I suffer from rLS along with a host of other things! Yes, after a workout I am in pain, but in the long run, the muscles and joints ease from the exercise and over all I feel fitter and healthier!
    I have lupus and RA as well, and I don't know what the source of the pain is! However the good feeling I get post exercise is worth any physical pain!

    I am v much of the opinion that I will rule my health and it will not rule me! Obviously there are days when I have to slow down, or not do anything at all, but for the most part, I WIN!!!!

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