It hurts right here

outspan87
outspan87 Posts: 98 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've just started working out again. I just finished day 8 of the "Insanity" program and now that I know the form to most of the exercises, I decided to push a little more.

Toward the end, after maintaining a good HR throughout the workout, it started to hurt a bit here:

anatomyofhumanbody.gif

it's on the right side, so it can't be the spleen, and it's right below the rib cage. Resting for a couple minutes made the sensation go away, so it must be fatigue-related. I hadn't felt that sensation in a while -- in fact, since the time I was playing in a soccer team several years ago (then, the sensation usually happened after running at a good rhythm for about 20 minutes).

It's not too painful, but annoying and draining enough that I have to stop working out for a couple minutes and recuperate before I resume exercise. What is it? Is it normal/common? If I keep doing cardio, will I desensitize myself to it?

EDIT: also, I don't have a vagina. I pulled up the wrong picture, LOL

Replies

  • mamamc03
    mamamc03 Posts: 1,067 Member
    Omg....I was in a pissed mood and read the part about your lack of a vagina and about died!!! LOL
  • sed1217
    sed1217 Posts: 228 Member
    I think you're describing a stitch in your side (that's what I've always called it anyway). Here's the Wikipedia info:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Side_stitch
  • adbohls
    adbohls Posts: 156 Member
    I have exercise and cold weather induced asthma. When it acts up I get a tightness and pain in my back and abdomen near the bottom of the rib cage. It's about the same area where you pointed to. I think that's about where your pancreas is too. You might want to see a doc about it.
  • kalynn06
    kalynn06 Posts: 368 Member
    I think you're describing a stitch in your side (that's what I've always called it anyway). Here's the Wikipedia info:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Side_stitch

    I was just going to post this. Sounds like a classic side stitch.
  • outspan87
    outspan87 Posts: 98 Member
    Thank you. I read that strenghtening the core is one of the way of preventing that, and Insanity is all about the core, so that's good. I'll try some of the other things as well. I just don't want it to interrupt my workouts, especially when I'm doing interval training.
  • holliph
    holliph Posts: 88 Member
    mr lack of vag...is the pain smack dab in the middle below your rib cage or off center of the rib cage?
  • sunnie326
    sunnie326 Posts: 721 Member
    LMAO!!! I didn't see the green arrow on first look and thought you were saying that you hurt EVERYWHERE!! Glad I looked twice. :laugh:
  • lk27
    lk27 Posts: 257 Member
    Sounds like a side ache. I always get those when I'm not breathing right during exercise especially when I run.

    Oops... didn't see the arrow. Maybe not a side ache...
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
    It is better to interrupt the workout and recover than to push through in some cases. Personally, I feel like side stitches are the cases that I will pause to recover. They hurt very badly when you continue through them.

    When you did soccer, did you practice breathing techniques? Learning to count my breaths and time them with my steps / movements has really helped reduce the amount / severity of side stitches I've had.
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
    LMAO!!! I didn't see the green arrow on first look and thought you were saying that you hurt EVERYWHERE!! Glad I looked twice. :laugh:

    Same here. heh
  • outspan87
    outspan87 Posts: 98 Member
    It is better to interrupt the workout and recover than to push through in some cases. Personally, I feel like side stitches are the cases that I will pause to recover. They hurt very badly when you continue through them.

    When you did soccer, did you practice breathing techniques? Learning to count my breaths and time them with my steps / movements has really helped reduce the amount / severity of side stitches I've had.

    I didn't really do controlled breathing back when I did soccer. I read that bad posture might be an issue, and I know that I did have bad running posture back then. With Insanity, the workout are so intense (and rushed) that, when I try to do as many reps as possible in the time that I have, I sacrifice posture a bit. That might be it...
  • outspan87
    outspan87 Posts: 98 Member
    mr lack of vag...is the pain smack dab in the middle below your rib cage or off center of the rib cage?

    "Vagina" is in bold too, I don't know what's up with that! :D
    It's on the right side. I'm pretty sure it's a side stitch now.
  • JanetLM73
    JanetLM73 Posts: 1,226 Member
    Thanks for the early morning giggle :smile:
  • Allie_71
    Allie_71 Posts: 1,063 Member
    The lack of vagina thing made me spit out my coffee :) Yup. Sounds like a stitch in your side. They hurt like a bugger :(
  • Tebbspcad
    Tebbspcad Posts: 233
    Omg....I was in a pissed mood and read the part about your lack of a vagina and about died!!! LOL

    me too! lol
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
    I concur on "Side Stitch"....

    And I LMFAO @ "I don't have a vagina!"
    Made my morning! Thanks!

    (you should make a new one with an arrow pointing at the Vag too! LOL)
  • jetscreaminagain
    jetscreaminagain Posts: 1,130 Member
    Thank you. Just. Thank you.

    Good luck with the side stitches. And thank you.
  • chrishgt4
    chrishgt4 Posts: 1,222 Member
    Yea definitely a stitch...


    I tend to run through them. Just slow up a little bit and focus on breathing properly and it will subside eventually.

    People tend to say that you should stop and lie down till it goes away but that's weak - push through the pain, it's character building! lol
  • m60kaf
    m60kaf Posts: 421 Member
    exhale as your left foot hits the floor
  • AnnMystery
    AnnMystery Posts: 3 Member
    When running track we were taught to inhale with our nose and exhale through our mouth... when this doesn't work for me I inhale through my teeth.... the point is to prevent gulping and swallowing air which creates cramps... also in weight & calesthenics we were taught to exhale when resisting and inhale when relaxing... reason inhaling works your lung muscles & is more of a stress than exhaling... so to balance things you want to make your lungs work hard when your muscles relax, and let your lungs relax when your muscles work hard. tai chi/chi gong teaches controlled breathing before exercising... inhale 100% exhale 100% then inhale 100% exhale 90% inhale & exhale 100% then inhale 100% exhale 80% and continue...alternating full breathing with the percents using 20% or 10% decending. This makes you aware of how you breath. When you find your self gulping in 100% but only exhaling 10% when you are doing high intensity... it might help you to notice so you exhale more. Also in tai chi/chi gong, I have found that when I exhale during pushing or balancing moves my strength holds power. I think it really is about that balance thing. Rhythm creates balanced measures too. Even with high intensity fast work outs you can create a rhythm to it. I don't get side stitches, so I thought these breathing tips might help you, they should enhance your workouts anyway.
  • Phaedra2014
    Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
    Maybe a knotted trigger point in your muscle?
  • mamamc03
    mamamc03 Posts: 1,067 Member
    When running track we were taught to inhale with our nose and exhale through our mouth... when this doesn't work for me I inhale through my teeth.... the point is to prevent gulping and swallowing air which creates cramps... also in weight & calesthenics we were taught to exhale when resisting and inhale when relaxing... reason inhaling works your lung muscles & is more of a stress than exhaling... so to balance things you want to make your lungs work hard when your muscles relax, and let your lungs relax when your muscles work hard. tai chi/chi gong teaches controlled breathing before exercising... inhale 100% exhale 100% then inhale 100% exhale 90% inhale & exhale 100% then inhale 100% exhale 80% and continue...alternating full breathing with the percents using 20% or 10% decending. This makes you aware of how you breath. When you find your self gulping in 100% but only exhaling 10% when you are doing high intensity... it might help you to notice so you exhale more. Also in tai chi/chi gong, I have found that when I exhale during pushing or balancing moves my strength holds power. I think it really is about that balance thing. Rhythm creates balanced measures too. Even with high intensity fast work outs you can create a rhythm to it. I don't get side stitches, so I thought these breathing tips might help you, they should enhance your workouts anyway.

    That was SERIOUSLY informative and made so much sense!! I always got those when I was younger in PE and now that I am running, I am starting to get them too...I will so start focusing on breathing better. Thanks!
  • Epicmum54
    Epicmum54 Posts: 26
    Stomach breathe - when you get a stitch it can also be from a lack of oxygen (so I heard somewhere). So...when taking in a breathe, push your stomach out so that your diaphragm can drop and your lungs can fill with more air...works like a charm (it takes some practice but there's some good yoga video on YouTube for breathing!)!

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