I have pain at the back of my knees down to my lower legs. Could this be from overstretching?
I am 44 years old, 6'2, and weigh 176 lbs. My cardio fitness is excellent and I'm gradually increasing my strength again after a few years of little exercise.My trainer has had me doing Fartlek, interval and intensity training to build up my stamina for tackling some middle distance (10-15km) runs in a few months time. I feel great, but the pain in my legs and knees (and also in my lower back and hips!) is starting to annoy me. Do I need a prolonged break from training?
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for your question. I passed it along to one of our doctors to see if they have any thoughts on it. We'll let you know as soon as we get a response!
-Dan
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There is some controversy in the medical literature about whether or not stretching is beneficial or possibly even harmful. One of the theoretical reasons why stretching might hurt include the fact that stretching can produce an analgesic effect, which might allow more damage to occur to the muscle. In addition, most muscle damage during exercise occurs during the normal range of motion of the limb, making stretching, at best extraneous. However, consider that the vigorous stop and starts of Fartlek training may induce damage to the muscles, as opposed to "overstretching."
Perhaps trying a more continuous training approach which might help decrease the pain. Talk to your doctor and trainer about this option.
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