Is this pain normal?

JT1090
JT1090 Posts: 79 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
This past monday I started working out for the first time in 2 years. My fitness level is low but I'm doing 30DS. I was really sore all over in the begining of the week. As I pushed through all the pain ceased except for my calves which seem to be getting worse. During the workout there is zero pain but afterwards it's killer. I have to keep them moving otherwise they will get stiff and cause me to limp because it hurts to bend my legs. Do I continue or rest? I'm new to working out so I have no idea if I'm supposed to rest or when.

Replies

  • liroez29
    liroez29 Posts: 221
    stretch, stretch, and then....stretch some more! hope you feel better soon! I know how it is!
  • Hurricane_C
    Hurricane_C Posts: 806 Member
    The 30DS is a killer... even for someone who is moderately active. The first few days left me ridiculously sore. So just keep at it and definitely make sure you stretch after.
  • leannems
    leannems Posts: 516 Member
    Calf soreness can sometimes be a sign of dehydration - my calves are frequently sore in the rare instances I'm hungover - so just make sure you're drinking enough water.

    You should also try stretching them - I like either toes up on a small step, heels on the lower step, or toe touches (for calves I do them on the floor - for thighs I do them standing).

    Typically, for the same muscle groups, it's one day on, one day off - but I know some of the short programs are on every day. If it starts to get where you're limping, I would start with the one day on, one day off, and if you need more time in between - give it to yourself, at least on the muscle group that is painful.
  • KickingDarkness
    KickingDarkness Posts: 82
    I started 30ds a couple of weeks ago and had the same thing - limping cause my calves hurt so bad. I took a day off and felt much better afterwords. I know a lot of people do 30ds strait through - I say listen to your body - if you need a rest day take it. Also I agree with those that say stretch - there's a bit of stretching at the end but it doesn't really stretch your calves too well - I do additional stretches.
  • gillleeman
    gillleeman Posts: 397 Member
    No this pain isn't normal. My opinion as a Sports Therapist is you should never work through pain, you should never do intense training without 24/48 hours recovery (for muscles/tendons/ligaments to repair) and you should do longer warm-up/cool down than the 30 DS is recommending.

    I would advise changing your exercise whilst calfs sore, stretching and icing for 3 days, then replace ice with heat for further 4 days. When you resume do the 30 DS with rest days between the days. You will achieve the same results in more time, yes, but your body will be fitter and stronger as a result of it.
  • mezzosoprano89
    mezzosoprano89 Posts: 81 Member
    BE CAREFUL!! I'd try taking rest days or something, I did the 30 day shred and made it almost all the way through by "working through it" and ended up with a small tear in my rotator cuff and am now in physical therapy to try and repair the damage to my muscles. The 30 day shred CAN be a good workout, but you need to listen to your body, I wish I had!
  • rayleansout
    rayleansout Posts: 234
    stand on steps with the balls of your feet - drop ankles lower than toes as much as possible, and stretch those calfs - google calf stretch - your fine!
  • LilacDreamer
    LilacDreamer Posts: 1,364 Member
    i did the 30DS 2 days ago for the first time, and only got through a few minutes of it...but i woke up yesterday with a sore abdomen (i guess from the squats) and sore um...whatever the backs of your thighs are called (hamtrings?)

    it's a little less sore today, so im going to go to the gym and do some cardio. I'm gonna wait on the 30DS til i drop down some more.
  • withervein
    withervein Posts: 224 Member
    Starting out with ANY exercise routine, especially an intense one, will give your muscles something to think about. If you are feeling very bad, take a rest day. Rest is a weapon.

    AS mentioned, stretch a lot, drink at least one or two extra glasses of water a day to flush out your system, you'll be creating lactic acid while you exercise and lots of other hard-work byproducts.

    Finally, keep moving during your rest time. If you are doing your exercise in the morning, showering, then plopping on an office chair for 8 hours then the couch before bed, you're not doing yourself any favors. Walk on your lunch break concentrating on stretching with your strides. If you are cleaning, lugging groceries or doing dishes try to stretch whenever you reach for something, squat all the way down to pick up things you drop and if you're watching TV in the evening, do some stretching, planks or crunches during the commercials.
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