Stretching Exercises For Lower Leg Pain (Runners And Seniors)

Sore legs can interfere with your daily routine, whether you’re standing all day, trying a new exercise, or overexerting yourself. Sometimes, the pain you feel can be so severe that it makes daily tasks impossible. However, there are numerous methods available to help relieve pain and discomfort. Your health benefits from stretching exercises. Several stretching exercises can help with lower leg pain, which will be discussed in this article!

Flexibility, range of motion, and pain relief can be improved through stretching exercises. Furthermore, these exercises can prevent further injuries from occurring. Take a look at our comprehensive guide if you don’t know where to begin!

What Is Lower Leg Pain

The feeling of pain or soreness in the lower leg can be a minimal ache or a fierce impaling sensation. A minor injury or overexertion causes the majority of your leg pain. However, the soreness can be reduced with the help of some home remedies, or it might even disappear in a few hours or a day. Doing leg pain exercises can also reduce your pain.

However, it is not always a minor pain but a serious health issue. Such a situation requires immediate medical attention. Getting a quick checkup and treatment makes you avoid any serious problems later.

Types Of Leg Pain

Neurological Pain

Conditions that generate neurological pain include restless legs syndrome—characterized by uncontrollable twitching of the legs—and neuropathy or nerve damage. Sciatic nerve pain is another example. Neurological pain can occur even when the affected individual is at rest, such as in the arms or legs.

Musculoskeletal pain

Musculoskeletal pain affects the joints and muscles, including crepitus and arthritis. Musculoskeletal pain results from injuries to the muscle, tendon, or ligament, such as those sustained in a fall.

Stress fractures, compartment syndrome, and cramps are additional musculoskeletal problems.

Vascular Pain

Vascular pain is a type of pain that is caused by the malfunctioning of the vascular system. Several factors can contribute to it, including:

• peripheral arterial disease (PAD)
• deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• vasculitis
• varicose veins
• Varicose eczema – the skin around the pain is discoloured.

How Is It Caused And What Are Its Symptoms

Let’s discuss some common reasons behind calf muscle pain:

1)Muscle cramp: You must have heard the term ‘the Charley horse,’ which refers to a muscle contraction. It activates serious pain as the muscles of your leg contract. When your muscles get stiff, you feel a visible lump right underneath your skin. The area where the lump is formed gets red and swells. A cramp eventually develops in your lower leg as your muscles tire.

2)An injury: The majority of the time, leg pain is caused by an injury. The injuries can be:

• A Stress fracture is a small break in the bone, especially on the shin.
• Inflammation of the tendons makes your joints stiff. This often affects your heel bone or the hamstrings.
• A muscle strain is when the muscle strands tear because of overstretching. These problems usually occur in the legs, calves, and quadriceps.

3) DVT: This is the most serious type of thrombosis. It happens when the vein in your leg has a blood clot. These clots may block your blood vessels if they travel to your lungs. It can block your lungs and heart. Because of this, you suffer from heart failure or severe pain and swelling in your leg. It might be caused by obesity or an inactive lifestyle.

4) Chronic venous insufficiency: One suffers from this when the valves of their veins get damaged or stop functioning. The blood flows back to the heart, which leads to pooling in the legs. You feel it in leg cramps and swelling in the ankles. You even feel your legs aching and getting weaker. A person who is overweight or has been inactive for a long time is more likely to develop these conditions.

5) Peripheral Artery Disease: It causes cramping in the legs, thighs, or buttocks due to peripheral artery disease. It is common for lower leg pain to not heal, which is a sign of the disease, or for the toenail to change because of the disease. Your artery narrows, which leads to fat collecting in that specific area. People who smoke and lead unhealthy lifestyles are most likely to develop it.

Prevention Of Lower Leg Pain

Injuries, muscle strains, and overuse are some of the causes of lower leg pain. Likely, the pain will eventually subside on its own. There are things you can do to speed up the healing process and prevent the pain from coming back.

Lower leg pain can be prevented by following these tips:

• Wear supportive shoes.
• Stretch your calves and hamstrings.
• Avoid high-impact activities.
• Ice the affected area.
• It is essential to take breaks when exercising for long periods.

Benefits Of Stretching Lower Leg Muscles

• Eases Your Leg Activities: Your muscles get flexible, so walking, climbing, running, or any leg activity gets easier and smooth. Flexible muscles move around without restrictions and avoid straining muscles because of any overpressure.
• Reduces Cramps: Stretching targets your lower leg, which makes the blood flow smoothly in your leg. Because of proper blood flow, your legs are prevented from soreness and painful cramps.
• No More Sore Muscles: When you stretch regularly, your muscles stay active, so there is no chance they get stiff and sore. Make sure to give each stretch around 15 seconds, so the muscles get their share of activeness.
• Healthy Muscles: Stretching keeps your muscles in action, so they do not tighten because of immobility. Like this, proper blood flow around your muscles keeps them strong and healthy.
• Improves Posture: When you stretch regularly, you can perform well in sports because your muscles tend to be in action, and stretching sore muscles feel good
• Reduces The Risk Of Injury: When you keep the blood flow active, your muscles do your desired tasks without tiring, so there is less risk of them getting hurt. You do not feel much pain or soreness after a tough, sporty day.

10 Best Exercises For Leg Pain

These are the ten exercises for stiff legs.

1. Bridge With A Ball: You must lay down and fold your knees. Keep a pillow or ball between your knees. Squeeze your glutes and lift your hip upwards. Hold yourself up for a few seconds.
2. Calf Stretch: Stand near a wall and put both hands on the wall but shoulder-wide apart. Use one of your legs to step back while pushing towards the wall using your hands. Continue the process for another twenty to thirty seconds with your other leg. Sore thigh stretches are also helpful.
3. Step Stretch:  Stand on a step keeping the foot’s ball on the edge. Make sure the heel is independent of the step, and then gradually drop your heel down. Hold like this for 20 to 30 seconds and move on to the next leg. This will help stretch lower leg pain muscles.
4. Calf Stretch With Bent Knee: Stand near a wall and keep one of your legs in front of the other. Make sure the front knee is slightly bent. Keeping the heel on the ground, slowly bend the other knee as well. You will have to lean towards the wall. Feel your lower calf muscle stretching and hold that for 20 seconds before moving to the next leg.
5. Resistance Band Pull: Extend your feet sitting on the floor and pull one of your feet using a resistance band. Pull your toes towards the shin for a few seconds, and then move to the next leg.
6. Standing Bent Stretch: Stand while your feet are staggered and slowly bend your back knee. Fold towards keeping your front knee straight and pull your toe gently, grabbing your feet underneath the toe. Stretches for leg pain are the best way to relieve pain.
7. Seated Stretch:  Sit on a chair while extending one of your legs straight. Using a band, pull the ball off your extended feet, pulling your ankles and toes towards you. Hold for 30 seconds, and then repeat it thrice.
8. Outer Calf Stretch: Stand inclining on a wall with the leg to be pulled back behind you. Put your toes inwards and then incline forwards till you sense a calf stretch. Please do it for 30 seconds.
9. Lunge Stretch:  Stand straight and step forward with your left foot beside your knee bending it a little. Lean forward and push your right heel toward the ground for a calf stretch. Hold for 45-60 seconds. Repeat stretches for leg muscles.
10. Downward Stretch: Go in a high plank position and push your hips upwards, forming an inverted v. now keep your head between your elbows, straightening your back upwards. To stretch, push your heels towards the ground and stay like that for 40 seconds or a minute. This is part of yoga for a leg stretch. Thigh stretches for sore muscles are extremely helpful as well!

Helpful Stretching Aids

• Yoga Blocks
•  Resistance Bands
•  Foam Roller
•  Yoga Mat
•  Exercise Ball

How Long Should You Stretch Your Legs

For an adult, stretching lower leg pain muscles exercises for 2 to 3 days per week is preferable. They should do one exercise for about 20 to 30 seconds and repeat each twice or thrice. For this, you must know how to stretch the abductor muscle to avoid injury. They must repeat it when the lower leg muscles are warm.

What Happens If You Stretch Your Legs Too Much

Overstretching of the muscles can lead to injuries and increase the risk of microscopic or full tears. The muscles become vulnerable and result in health strains and sprains, and you might feel a tight calf muscle in one leg.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion 

One needs to exercise with care. You must carefully adjust your positions because looking at videos, and the following something looks easier than done. It is preferred to stay hydrated throughout and go to a doctor when you feel leg pain. There are various stretch exercises for lower leg pain muscles, and one must keep stretching to avoid bigger problems. Best stretches for sore legs and glutes help you reduce the pain and swelling, making it a habit to stretch at least twice a week.