In pain when exercising!!

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Ive started jogging and really like it. The only problem is around 10mins into it i get a stitch!!! arrgghh!! its so painful it makes me stop. ive tried to jog through it but can't. its so annoying as i feel i could physically keep going alot longer. ive been told it may be due 2 eating or drinking beforehand but i had my last meal 5hrs before and last drink 2hrs before, just to make sure!! Anybody got any suggestions for me?? i really don't wanna give up!

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  • Elliebee22
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    Ive started jogging and really like it. The only problem is around 10mins into it i get a stitch!!! arrgghh!! its so painful it makes me stop. ive tried to jog through it but can't. its so annoying as i feel i could physically keep going alot longer. ive been told it may be due 2 eating or drinking beforehand but i had my last meal 5hrs before and last drink 2hrs before, just to make sure!! Anybody got any suggestions for me?? i really don't wanna give up!

    Depends where abouts the stitch is. If you put your hands on your head and carry on jogging gently, it stretches out the stitch and also decreases pain and can get rid of it. I did this yesterday during my excercise regime and it eventually went off and didn't come back again. If it persists, just stop for a bit and put your hands on your head again. When it eases off, start again.
  • AdamATGATT
    AdamATGATT Posts: 573 Member
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    Where is the stich? Left side under the ribs?

    If so, breath out when your left foot strikes the ground. See if that helps. What I mean by this is, don't breath out when your right foot fits the ground. Having your lungs full of air when you strike the ground on the left side can cause pressure on the liver. Evacuating your lungs before it strikes helps. At least for me.
  • jlewis2896
    jlewis2896 Posts: 763 Member
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    Focus on your exhale. I find that I cramp up if I breathe IN more than I breathe OUT, which is common because people are running and think they need more oxygen, but you also need to get rid of your cell's waste products by exhaling.

    When I get that stitch, I breathe in normally (don't gasp), but then really focus on blowing a lot of air out on the exhale. Also, pushing on the stitch with my hand helps it hurt less while I'm waiting for it to go away.

    Hope that's right for you!!
  • championnfl
    championnfl Posts: 324 Member
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    Don't know what a stitch is? Anytime your body is in pain you should stop,its telling you. If its muscle cramping try diet ginger ale or eat a banana before working out,both have potassium and help the cramping. Electrolights are essential for loss of water in the body.[Gatorade or Diet Ginger Ale]
    Make sure your warmed up and muscles are stretched to get lactid acid out of muscles before & after exercising.
    If none of these will help seek professional.:wink:
  • AsaThorsWoman
    AsaThorsWoman Posts: 2,303 Member
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    o.O O.o I love pain!
  • tcar_2
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    I had the same problem when I first started running, it eventually went away after a couple of weeks. You cant ry warming up before you run. Try to breath from your belly rather than your chest and breath through your mouth. If these things don't work than just walk until the stitch goes away. Also drinking water will not cause a stitch but you should allow at least an hour after you eat.
  • micpen2
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    First things first, don't give up.

    Besides the timing of when you eat, what you eat might matter. High carb foods before running can cause a side stitch. Avoid big meals and carbs an half hour before your run. Not eating for 2-5 hours before you run is also a concern. Being well fueled will make the run go better for you. If you run in the morning, at least have a piece of buttered toast when you first get up. It will help stoke the furnace and continue the calorie burn. Not eating that long before you run might signal to your body to go into starvation mode, which isn't healthful for managed weight loss.

    When the stitch occurs, go ahead and stop running. Massage and stretch the side that is aching. After the stitch subsides, go ahead and start running again. Some beleive that a stitch is caused by the jarring motion on the diaphram and liver. So when it comes on take it easy for a minute or two, and then start running again. Over time, your diaphram and the ligaments connecting the liver will tone up and be able to handle the jarring better.

    The only secret is to keep at, and push yourself a little farther each time out.

    Good Running.

    Mick
  • tcar_2
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    :bigsmile: Champ, a stitch is when air gets trapped below your diaphram causing a cramp and pain on the right side right below your rib cage. It usually happens if you run right after you eat or you start running too vigorously.
  • edorice
    edorice Posts: 4,519 Member
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    Where is the stich? Left side under the ribs?

    If so, breath out when your left foot strikes the ground. See if that helps. What I mean by this is, don't breath out when your right foot fits the ground. Having your lungs full of air when you strike the ground on the left side can cause pressure on the liver. Evacuating your lungs before it strikes helps. At least for me.

    Correct.
  • joyojess
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    Thanx for the advise guys!! the pain is on the right side so i assume i breathe out when i strike my right foot?. i'll try everything when i go again tomorrow morning. :-)
  • longlegslenore
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    It happens to me all the time. I find that if I slow my pace up and take huge breathes for about 30 secs it goes away. When you run you have to breathe deeply, at least that is what I have to do. The Bigger the breathes the more oxygen you get to your muscles the less chance you will cramp. If you can't keep jogging and breathing deeply, walk for a minute as soon as the stich goes away with deep breathing start running again. I think of it as a wall. You start running, you build up the energy and feel that you could never stop then BAM! a wall appears and something either in your body or in your mind starts to go wrong and you doubt you can continue. You have to tell yourself that you are getting through that wall. No matter what you are gonna get over it or through it or around it. I find that if I do this I can run ten times longer than if I don't. Not sure if that will help or not.
  • isislc
    isislc Posts: 140 Member
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    Thanks so much for posting this topic. I was having a similar problem on the right side and I had no idea what it was. For a while I was thinking I may have developed a hernia! I wasn't actually running but I did start heavy on the cardio and this began. After some of my weight loss it has started going away now but at least I know what it is. Thanks again!