I get really tight thighs,shins and calves when running or walking fast.Any ideas how to overcome this?
549085
A lot of stretching.  Have you ever considered doing Yoga?  You can pick up a book on the cheap and it will help make you more flexible and stretch your muscles.
196275
I TRIED TO EMAIL YOU AND I GOT A SCREEN SAYING THAT MY MESSAGE WAS UNDELIVERABLE BECAUSE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS HAS NOT BEEN CONFIRMED. I decided to post my answer within this forum.  \n\nDid you have this problem before you had surgery? If so, here is my answer:\n\nI feel for you. I truly do. I've been there myself. If you give youself some time to heal, it will go away but as soon as you begin pushing yourself hard, the problem will likely reappear. Something that's helped me is custom made orthotic shoe inserts, not heal cups. I also stretch my upper heals and shins one at a time by sitting and pointing my toes as far forward as they will go, hold for 15-20 sec, and then flex the same foot up as far as it will go for 15-20 secs. I do this whenever I'm sitting still...watching TV, reading, etc. Ibuprofen helps with the inflammation and if I'm training for an event, I massage my legs from my knees down with peppermint foot cream. It works a lot like sports cream but it doesn't stink and it doesn't stain your clothes.   \n\nIf you DID NOT have this problem before you took some time off to have surgery, I've got good news for you. Some people are prone to plantar fascia. If it didn't bother you before, you can likely beat it. I run into this a lot. Runners have no problem until they stop running for a while and then try to start back. It doesn't take long to get those muscles, tendons, and ligaments out of shape. This has worked for many people that I personally know. If you have access to a gym, go there and work with a few weights...light enough that you can do 3 sets of 15. YOU'RE NOT LOOKING TO BUILD MUSCLE. YOU'RE LOOKING TO INCREASE ENDURANCE. While standing, place a small weight on the top of your shoe. Flex your foot upward with a controlled range of motion. Hold for 10 secs and bring down slowly. Do not allow your foot to return to a resting position until you're done with all three sets. Even when you bring your foot down from the flex, there should still be some tension on it. DO 3 sets of 15 and repeat with the other foot. \n\nTHEN do standing and seated calf raises. To maximize the benefit, chose two different positions for your feet while doing the calf raises. For example, when you're standing, allow both feet to face foreward (like you can imagine) and when you're sitting, turn your toes toward each other, kind of like you're pigeon-toed. Believe it or not, a few hamstring curls and the leg press (low weight, high reps) will also serve to get you back to where you were to begin with. As far as your running, I know it's hard to resist not pushing yourself, but take it slow for a while. Start with perhaps one third of the distance you were doing before surgery and SLOWLY work your way back up.     \n\n\nI've had Plantar Fascia for years. I recommend a really great shoe. I use New Balance and trust me, I've gone through all of the other shoes out there, from Nike, Adidas, Avia, Converse, Reebok, Saucony. Nothing measures up to New Balance. \n\nIf you want to go more extreme than a great shoe, you can go to a podiatrist. You may be a good candidate for surgery to correct the problem OR if you have insurance, the doctor can prescribe a special, custom made shoe insert and it probably won't cost you anything.
560847
Look at the wear pattern on your shoes - if it is uneven you may need orthotics \n\nIce you knees after running for 10 mins and make sure you are really warmed up before you run\n\nlook at knee braces if your knees are not stable and get a therpaist to show you how to develop your vastus medialis muscles \n\nfinally try and run on soft ground for at leats half the time or have aday off where you run in a pool instead of on the pavement
303163
Shin splints generally accompany running and the stress caused from the landing/impact of the activity.  The stress is made worse because of an proportionately stronger calf muscle.\n\nI'd recommend a few things:\n1. Consider running on different a different surface.  Typically you will decrease the impact stress by running on grass.  Grass absorbs much of the impact, concrete on the other hand(asphalt a near 2nd) is one of the worst surfaces to run on.\n\n2. Use a anti-inflamatory.  I'd recommend Naproxin (Aleve over the counter). (Not Tylenol or Asparin, these are not anti-inflamatory medications).\n\n3. And The BIGGEST thing that I can recommend is anterior tibialis exercises.  This is the muscle opposite your calf.  You will be able to flex your AT by lifting your feet.  There are exercise machines that can concentrate on the AT, (use resistance), also you can accomplish the same thing by tying a rope around a 5lb weight and fastening it over the tips of your shoes.  Then do toe raises with your weight on the backs of your feet (the opposite of a toe raise for your calf).\n\nI've found stretching to be relatively ineffective as a treatment.  More than likely, you are pretty stretched out and active if you are having shin splints.
259673
you could run less, and do a different form of exercise.. but most cardio will work your calves.. i guess try not to be on your toes too much when you run.. use the balls of your feet.
230837
me thinks lots wrong but first is poor circulation. go to hospital. Is there anything that may have caused this for starters? Like diabetes, smoking, excessively tight shoes, injury. Is it swollen? spiderbite? check footwear and bed linen, etc. But SEE A DOCTOR NOW
373507
It will get worse, much worse.  My track coach had me do a trick that helped a ton.  Take your shoes and socks off and sit in a sandbox at a playground.  Then extend your feet in front of you and stick them in the soft sand.  Then try and squeeze your feet so you are trying to curl your toes to your heel.  Do a few sets of 15 - 20 of this every day if you can.  It made my shin splints go completely away.
770084
Take a breather between runs.  You might be causing oxygen debt, in other words you may be using too much energy at a time so your muscles aren't regulating their chemicals fast enough, depriving your legs. I'd say try cutting down the amount of mileage, or try running every other day to every two days.  But you don't want wait too long between, you don't want any lactic acid build up either.  That's why I think a shorter run on a regular schedule would work best for you.
185775
Treatment for shin splits includes rest, massage, ice, stretching, and strengthening. Rest and ice is sometimes the best treatment. You should also be stretching your calves and Achilles tendon real well. If you have the problem during running or walking, try warming up more and don't increase the speed too quickly. You can also try varying the speed and elevation of the treadmill if you use one instead of keeping it the same. \n\nTo stretch your calves: \n\n1. Lean against a wall with one leg forward and the knee bent. \n2. Keep the rear leg straight, heel on the floor. \n3. Keep your back straight and lean your hips forward until you feel a stretch in your calf. If you don't feel it too much, put your toe of the rear leg up on a tree limb, or a dumbbell, or any other small object, so that you bend the ankle more. Your heel always remains on the floor. That will increase the stretch. \n4. To stretch the soleus muscle and Achilles (very important for shin splints), do the same calf stretch but bend the back knee slightly and you will feel the pull on your Achilles tendon. \n\nWhen you stretch, make sure to hold the stretch until you feel looser and not just for 10-15 seconds. The point to stretching is to stretch the muscle, so hold it until you feel stretched. \n\nAlso make sure your shoes are sturdy and give you lots of support, particularly in the arch. If your shins hurt you should gently massage them and then ice them after you work out.
506846
It sounds like you have poor circulation. I will advise walking like 15 minutes a day. Maybe more if you get used to it. And take B12 is also good for you.
725145
Shin splints are most commonly caused by overpronation (foot roles in too much at the toe off phase of your gait/running motion). A neutral foot lands on the outside corner of your heel, roles inwards so that it is flat and then roles out on the angle of your toes at toe off. An overpronated foot lands on the outside of the heel, roles in flat but continues to roll in and comes off even with or inside the big toe side of the shoe. The reason this is a problem is that the muscle that is supposed to role you out at toe off (tibialis anterior muscle) is not strong enough to counter the weight of your body that has rolled your foot inwards too far. It continues to pull until it actually pulls itself off the bone where it attaches (this is what shinsplints are - shin splints are not a muscle fibre strain you are actually tearing muscle from the bone which is why it hurts so much and takes so long to heal). The reason why you didn't feel it before is because under less load (walking = less downward force and elliptical = no downward force) your body wasn't thrown into am overpronated position. Now that your are running the repetition of the overpronated state is resulting in shin splints. \nTo get rid of the shin splints you must first rest the muscle, ice wil help with the inflamation and pain. Next you need to get a really good pair of shoes designed to work with YOUR body. Just going and spending a lot of money will not gaurantee a good pair for you. It would be like buying a Ferarri for off roading - it's a great car but not for what you need. Look for a shoe that is designed for motion control. These styles have a very wide sole through the arch, are stiff if you try to "wring it out", have a very hard "heel counter" and have some type of a "medial post" (usually a dark grey foam of higher density running along the arch sie of the foot). If you aren't comfortable with these terms then go to your local running store and ask them. If they don't know these terms then walk away - they are not trained enough to assist you. A couple of models/brands that do produce some very good shoes for overpronators (motion control shoes) are Asics (gel 2100 series), Saucony (grid stable as one example) and New Balance. Do some research on their websites and they will have pictures to describe what I've talked about.
786754
You may be pushing too hard. Do you eat before you run? That can be a factor as well
283161
everything can be done in moderation and you can alternate your runs for shorter ones and then one really long one at some point in the week take care of the stress on the knee's though and if you find that you are getting a lot of injury take your running inside on a treadmill as that will ease the pressure on the knees and joints.\nOn the other hand walk does wonders too
414808
maybe runner's rash, if your alittle bigger or an avid athlete this happens alot try some antifungal cream and alittle bit of baby powder some tight fittin clothes like biker shorts would help to.
932796
A new pair of shoes will NOT solve the problem.  Shin splints are actually where the muscle connects tothe bone on the front side of the leg.  There are exercises to help or you can continue to run and they will eventually go away.  Here are the exercises I have found work.\n\nWalking on your tip toes.  You can do this in spurts or just do heel raises.\n\nAlso, this is one that was given to me by a doctor. - Take a weight and line tie the weight to the line and tie the other end to the tip of your shoe, allow the weight to dangle and do toe raises with the weight attached. \n\nThere is no quick fix for shin splints.  It will take time but they will eventually go away.\n\nHope this helps.
610139
Try hiking, climbing helps the thigh muscles, and do it briskly.\n\nI had flabby thighs and muscular calfs too and this helped me.  \n\nAlso try going up and down stairs, again you are working those thighs.
810020
reduce your speed and distance, increase them gradually\nincrease 1km every 2 weeks\ndont run on hard surfaces like concrete/asphalt...you should prefer running tracks/mud/grass\nif your shoes are old, the padding effect will be very low...get new ones\nice your shins after running\ndont strain yourself