How can I stop legs aching at night after exercise?

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bethnheidi
bethnheidi Posts: 23 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I workout every day but every night when I go to bed my legs start aching and become restless...I have a warm bath every evening and my partner massages my legs but nothing seems to ease the aching...can anyone give me any advice? I have read up that I might need more magnesium...is this true? Thanks in advance.

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  • xtremefitness123
    xtremefitness123 Posts: 3 Member
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    Potassium will help with the post workout pain. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water.
  • bethnheidi
    bethnheidi Posts: 23 Member
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    I drink 1.5l of water a day...is that enough cos I struggle to get past that cos of numerous trips to the loo!
  • cblue315
    cblue315 Posts: 3,836 Member
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    I wear these to bed on nights I run or lift heavy

    ag5nz5v6bn2o.jpeg
  • demoiselle2014
    demoiselle2014 Posts: 474 Member
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    I have a smoothie made with a banana every day after I work out (for the potassium), which can help restless legs. Stretching or doing hatha or restorative yoga helps relieve soreness quite a bit. If I anticipate muscle soreness, I will take an ibuprofin before bed.
  • Carnhot
    Carnhot Posts: 367 Member
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    Someone, I think on here, suggested a bar of soap under the sheet at the foot of the bed for restless legs. It sounded a ridiculous idea, but I had nothing to lose so gave it a go. I have had no restless legs problems since, it's been months and my exercise regime has gone up, not down. I have no science to back this up - it is pure, but true, anecdote.
  • xtremefitness123
    xtremefitness123 Posts: 3 Member
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    1.5L is a little low. I would increase it and try to not drink anything about an hour and a half prior to bed. Drink a full glass as soon as you wake.
  • demoiselle2014
    demoiselle2014 Posts: 474 Member
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    Carnhot wrote: »
    Someone, I think on here, suggested a bar of soap under the sheet at the foot of the bed for restless legs. It sounded a ridiculous idea, but I had nothing to lose so gave it a go. I have had no restless legs problems since, it's been months and my exercise regime has gone up, not down. I have no science to back this up - it is pure, but true, anecdote.

    And how is this supposed to have any effect beyond placebo?
  • jshay295
    jshay295 Posts: 110 Member
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    In your bath, use a loofah and scrub in upward circles toward your heart. I used to do this when I first started serious leg work and I'm not sure if it was just mental, but I'm 100 percent sure my brain thought my legs felt better lol.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    xtremefitness123 wrote: »
    Potassium will help with the post workout pain. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water.

    This ^^ Also stretching and foam rollers may help.
  • Carnhot
    Carnhot Posts: 367 Member
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    And how is this supposed to have any effect beyond placebo?

    I have no idea. I'm not making any scientific claims. I didn't expect it to work but, for me, it does, so I'm not complaining.
  • pmm3437
    pmm3437 Posts: 529 Member
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    Muscle cramps after excessive loss of fluids due to exercise or other means is typically a deficiency in electrolytes. Make sure you replenish sodium, potassium and magnesium after exertion or long periods in very hot ( sweaty ) environments/working conditions, as well as properly re-hydrating.

    Cramping and Magnesium article ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0048475/ )

    Other possible causes are tissue damage from improper stretching, over training, lack of proper warm up/cool down periods, or insufficient waste removal ( circulatory ). Take the time to prep for your workout, make sure you aren't working too much/frequently on the same areas, and if you have reason to believe there is a circulatory component, try support/compression items for the area(s) in question.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    bethnheidi wrote: »
    I workout every day but every night when I go to bed my legs start aching and become restless...I have a warm bath every evening and my partner massages my legs but nothing seems to ease the aching...can anyone give me any advice? I have read up that I might need more magnesium...is this true? Thanks in advance.

    You could try compression clothing to help with recovery as suggested, massage or light walking to help with blood flow or an anti-inflammatory like Ibuprofen. It is pretty usual for muscles to ache / feel sore after exercising especially if you are new to that exercise or level of intensity.
  • whatatime2befit
    whatatime2befit Posts: 625 Member
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    Potassium and ensure you drink lots of water.
  • PinkDeerBoy
    PinkDeerBoy Posts: 89 Member
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    Thanks for the tips everyone. I have been having similar issues lately. Guess I should go refill my water bottle and grab some bananas while at the grocery store today.
  • UltraRunnerGale
    UltraRunnerGale Posts: 346 Member
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    It depends on what you are doing. As an ultra runner, I know that when I have a long race or training run, my legs are going to ache and be horribly restless. I never get a good night's sleep after a really long run. B)
  • bethnheidi
    bethnheidi Posts: 23 Member
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    Thanks for all the advice...i stopped eating bananas due to their high sugar content...can't win! But if it will help my legs at night I will start eating them again ☺ i need to look at other potassium rich foods too.
  • demoiselle2014
    demoiselle2014 Posts: 474 Member
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    I've also sometimes responded to restless legs by drinking a cup of chicken broth for the salt and electrolytes. It may not be the best solution for that, however.

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