Hi! I am 35 year old female and weigh 240. I joined a gym a couple of months agao and try to do cardio 4 to 5 times a week and weights 2 to 3 times a week. My problem is when I walk on a treadmill or outside on a sidewalk I get pain on the sides of my legs along with shin splints. My shin's don't always hurt but the sides of my legs do(from knee to ankle). I buy new shoes(usually Asics) every 6 to 8 months so I don't think it's the shoes. Is it the extra weight? If anybody knows or has suggestions I would love to hear them. Thanks!
Hi mate,
It could be the extra weight or it could be a muscle imbalance. You may have to strengthen your calves.
You said you buy new trainers every few months, do you just go in and pick the pair you like? Or do they actually assist you in picking the right pair. Proper running shops will assess you and get you to try different pairs of shoes. They will also ask you to run down the road or run on a treadmill.
I agree that it could be the muscle imbalance. You may want to try resistance training the inside of your thighs, the "vastus medialis". It will even up the muscles and your outer thigh won't fatigue as easily.
Thank you so much for your reply mellenoire. I agree that I need to strengthen my leg muscles. Would squats and lunges be a good exercise for the inside of my thighs?
I haven't gone into a running store to be fitted for shoes because I'm embarressed of my weight. I know sometimes over weight people aren't treated the best, but I guess I need to just suck it up and go.
I was also thinking maybe I should make an appointment with a foot specialist just in case I need some type of arch support. Do you think I should try the leg strengthening and running store first or does it make sense to see a specialist?
I really do appreciate the help. Thanks!
Take a look at this picture:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gray1240.png
The tibialis anterior lifts the foot, and gets sore on many people new to walking. Especially when they start trying to walk faster or on inclines.
The peroneus longus lifts the outside edge of the foot and gets sore if you have a "toes out angle" when you walk (because you are pushing off from the inside of the foot).
This doesn't apply to you, but may help explain the idea of what the PL does: people that hike steep hills often have to turn their foot to the outside for traction (or because their calves aren't flexible enough to have their foot straight ahead). Those guys can get very sore on the outside of their lower leg. Does that make sense? You may be getting a version of that, even on the flat.
If it is just soreness in these muscle groups, the TA pain will go away with practice, as long as you build up slowly and don't overdo. The PL pain may go away if you try to point your feet more straight forward when you walk.
Muscle pain feels like a "burning" sensation, and you can check for soreness later by doing "ankle rolls" (drawing circles with your toes while your foot is elevated.
If any of the connections (tendons or ligaments) closer to your ankle or knee hurt (during the activity, or all the time), take the situation more seriously. I.e. see a sports Dr. and MD, or a physical therapist and get rid of the problem before long tern inflammation sets in.
No probs! Squats are a great idea - I was taught the following exercise (sounds a bit weird but you can definitely feel it):
Stand with your back to a wall with rolled up towel between your knees. Squat as low as you can go. Raise yourself up from the heels, while squeezing the towel between your knees.It is important to raise from the heels to prevent them rolling and distributing forces unevenly.
Within 2-3 reps your inner thighs will fatigue. But this improves with time.
A professional salesperson will treat you the same if you were 140 or 240. If you experience negativity, you are under no obligation to make the purchase. leave the store, and treat it as a good lesson learned.
Original Post by ajbog:
Hi! I am 35 year old female and weigh 240. I joined a gym a couple of months agao and try to do cardio 4 to 5 times a week and weights 2 to 3 times a week. My problem is when I walk on a treadmill or outside on a sidewalk I get pain on the sides of my legs along with shin splints. My shin's don't always hurt but the sides of my legs do(from knee to ankle). I buy new shoes(usually Asics) every 6 to 8 months so I don't think it's the shoes. Is it the extra weight? If anybody knows or has suggestions I would love to hear them. Thanks!
http://orthopedics.about.com/od/overuseinjuri es/a/compartment.htm Does it seem like this? Especially the part where it stops if you stop walking and stretch a bit?
If it is that, you'll probably want to go to something that puts less stress on your legs. Does your gym have a pool? Exercise bikes? It's possible that an elliptical machine would be more comfortable too, but I don't know.
Meanwhile, continue taking short walks during the day, e.g. park farther from your work. Only walk as much as is comfortable and stop and stretch out if you start feeling any discomfort.
I don't know about shin splints, but I had the compartment thing going on and did what I described above and now can walk briskly for an hour without pain.
Try walking in sandals and see if the pain goes away.
The pain that I get sometimes feels like shin splints, but in the last six months the pain is not just in the front om legs but also on the sides of my legs. I can stop and stretch in the middle of my walk(after the pain has started), but it doesn't relieve any of the pain. I started using the eliptical at the gym and like it, I would just like to go for walks with my husband in the evenings(along with going to the gym). I made an appointment to see a specialist because it has been going on for so long and seems to be getting worse. I will let you guys know what they say they think it is. I can't get in for another week in a half so I'll try some of the suggestions given on here in the mean time.
Thanks for all the replies.
Well, after doing some more research on line I'm not sure seeing an Orthopetic Specialist is the right thing. I think I am going to try some of the leg exercises listed above along with some I found on line. I also know I tend to roll my foot out when I walk and even when I'm standing in place, so I think I'm just going to have to drive the hour and half to get to a shoe store that has people who can help me. I'll stick with the eliptical and bike at the gym in the mean time. Thanks again for everyone's input.
