my hamstrings! Ouch! What to do....?

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Alissakae
Alissakae Posts: 317 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Last week my trainer gave me a workout that involves a lot of lunges and squats (including squat to press with 20 pound kettlebell) and stints on the treadmill at 24% incline. I wasn't more sore than normal after we worked out together. But after a week of doing that workout on my own, teaching water aerobics every other day, going to Zumba, and one day where I spent 4 hours weeding with lots of bending and squatting - my hamstrings were killing me by Friday. Here we are on Wednesday and I'm still hurting - and I can no longer put my hands on the floor when I bend over. It's like everything tightened up on me. I could really use some advice on how to get feeling better and get my flexibility back!

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  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
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    Honestly, other than doing hamstring stretches, walking and foam rolling, the only thing (besides a pain killer) that will help is time and rest. Are you able to take a day off? Friday to Wednesday is a long time for them to be tight.
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
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    I have found that bromelain and glutamine taken together helps heal soft tissue damage more quickly. (You can get these naturally by eating pineapple and cottage cheese).

    Continue to stretch out between sets, and at other times throughout the day. I've also found deep tissue massage is also helpful, but I also understand that not everyone can tolerate the pain. Even Swedish massage will help you remain more limber.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    You should have been stretching all along with all these workouts. Surprising if your trainer did not tell you that.

    For now, epsom salt baths. Stretching. Ibuprofen helps me if it's really bad.
  • Alissakae
    Alissakae Posts: 317 Member
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    I had been stretching before my workouts, as my trainer tells me, and at water aerobics - but probably not enough with my other activity. I've been working out a lot for months and this is the first time I've been sooooo sore for so long. I appreciate the hints - I probably need to look into a foam roller. Where's the best place to get one?
  • mamasmaltz3
    mamasmaltz3 Posts: 1,111 Member
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    I love my foam roller! I got mine on Amazon.
  • kaleena1983
    kaleena1983 Posts: 64 Member
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    My hamstrings were terrible after I did a Tough Mudder. I focused on stretching constantly and slowly. I used heat on them (15 minutes at a time each). My physical therapist also did a deep massage to get a huge knot out. I definitely think the suggestion of a foam roller is also a good idea. You can get them from lots of places - even Walmart. I think what did the most good for me was the massage. I'm not sure exactly what she did (it was massaging horizontal across the hamstring and then shaking it), but I had relief the next day.
  • jlapey
    jlapey Posts: 1,850 Member
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    I had been stretching before my workouts, as my trainer tells me, and at water aerobics - but probably not enough with my other activity. I've been working out a lot for months and this is the first time I've been sooooo sore for so long. I appreciate the hints - I probably need to look into a foam roller. Where's the best place to get one?

    I thought you were supposed to warm up with a type of cardio for 5+ minutes and save your stretching for after the workout.
  • Alissakae
    Alissakae Posts: 317 Member
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    I had been stretching before my workouts, as my trainer tells me, and at water aerobics - but probably not enough with my other activity. I've been working out a lot for months and this is the first time I've been sooooo sore for so long. I appreciate the hints - I probably need to look into a foam roller. Where's the best place to get one?

    I thought you were supposed to warm up with a type of cardio for 5+ minutes and save your stretching for after the workout.

    I warm up on the treadmill for 5 minutes, stretch, then do the workout. Then stretch again after. I guess I wasn't very clear on that. :)
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
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    I had been stretching before my workouts, as my trainer tells me, and at water aerobics - but probably not enough with my other activity. I've been working out a lot for months and this is the first time I've been sooooo sore for so long. I appreciate the hints - I probably need to look into a foam roller. Where's the best place to get one?

    I've never heard of only stretching before a workout. I've heard of warming up muscles before, but this seems weird. My trainer asks if I want help stretching after every session. I thought one of the points of stretching was to help release the lactic acid from the workout. I'm interested to hear why your trainer suggested only stretching beforehand.

    And get a foam roller. Best purchase ever. I got mine on amazon too. Hurts like hell, but completely worth it.

    Disregard - just read your response.
  • rassha01
    rassha01 Posts: 534 Member
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    Lots of stretching and a little extra protein intake has really kept my muscle soreness at bay. I don't know if you eat a lot of protein or supplement it but on my workout days I usually have at least 30g of protein within 30 minutes of exercising and it seems to help a lot.

    Good luck!
  • bokodasu
    bokodasu Posts: 629 Member
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    I think most people have stopped recommending stretching before the workout.

    Anyway, hot bath, epsom salts, foam roller if you've got one. Doing mobility exercises for that whole area can help for when you do that workout in the future - not just the hamstrings but the hips & glutes & everything.
  • doriharvey
    doriharvey Posts: 89 Member
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    I am not as advanced as you, but I found that the over the counter medication "BACK AID" is tylonol with a diuretic that is not caffiene. It stops my muscles from swelling so badly and does take the pain away even thought the muscles are tight. I posted a topic about legs killing me from my workouts not long ago and a person posted that checking into yoga may help.

    I did. I found this very beginner video, the other video's I saw were "in my dreams"
    Here it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZFJpaOD3Cc

    I soaked in a warm bath and I did have the back aid med in me the first time I did this. I could tell a difference when I got up the next day.

    After my last c25K workout I did a beginner yoga stretch. This helped me SO VERY MUCH. Some muscle tightness, won't go so far as to calling it pain and didn't need the over the counter pain med today.

    I do have a foam roller that I got from amazon, but I know a running shoe store near me sells them. I did use this too, the first time I had a problem with legs soreness but it was painful for me at that time. I have found the yoga stretches have helped me more.

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