blaine

Do you guys/gals take Ibuprofin for sore muscles? I have a job that requies me to spend 90% of my time on my feet...been that way all my life.****us up and down a flight of stairs about 100 times a day.

I am sore all the time...my knees are sore...my feet hurt...

My muscles really are not that sore, but just sometimes tired. I am just getting back into my training regime of doing SOMETHING 5 times a week...either running or cycling..I would prefer to cycle but can't sometimes due to time constraints.

Am I wrecking myself in puruit of fun and good health?

Should I just gobble some Ibuprofin to help mask the pain/reduce swelling?

surfncycling

I wouldn't take painkillers for several reasons:
1) Your body knows when you're overdoing it, listen to it. Injuries increase exponentially the more over-trained you are. If you've got sore joints next you'll probably get a pulled muscle or two.
2) Depending on what you take it thins the blood making your performance go down.

blaine

I don't know why I was censored

Diggy18

Yeah, I was trying to imagine what word you typed instead of the ****. The obvious choice didn't seem to quite fit. Anywho . . .

I worry too about cutting off my ability to know when I'm straining a muscle. But I think that the prevention of swelling can actually help a muscle heal, can't it? Or, you could try taking the pain killers just before bed, to reduce swelling while you sleep and help you get better rest.

Muscle ache is ok. It's sharp pains that scare me. And tendon/ligament pain. And ruptered organs. HA

joeprim

Do you streach enough?
I try to avoid pills.
Good luck
Joe

blaine

...stretch?...

what's that?

No, I really don't. It's like flossing my teeth...I can do it for about a week, then get out of the routine and just don't stretch...actually I floss pretty regularly now..if only I could force myself to stretch.

Typically I will start slow (the only way I know how) and work into my rhythym..sometimes I end up going slower!!!

blaine

I also try to avoid pills, except some vitamins...which reminds me, it's time for the glucosamine/condroitin horsepill

webist

I have a feeling that aches and pains are normal at my age. Whether I am riding or wieght lifting, I end up with subtle hurts the next day. I think they are actually telling me good news though. By that, Imean if I slack off a bit and go witht he routine from a couple months ago - nothing hurts.

Guest

I vote for the stretching. It sounds like you're needing to do some serious stretching for the legs every day. It's always hard to start a stretching program. People take that stuff for granted, and it's not like it's the most exciting part of our training program. But start slow.... maybe 15 minutes every day. That's like a 30 minute television show with breaks. Then work up to 20 minutes a day. Then 30 minutes a day. If you can make it to 30 minutes a day for the lower body, you're set.

Rather than try the ibuprofin, go for the natural remedies. Besides stretching, you could always try stuff like Tiger Balm, and if you have the time, instead of a shower in the evenings, a good soak in a hot bath of epsom salts would do wonders. Epsom salts has magnesium, which is a mild muscle relaxant, and it will help soothe your muscles. Just don't go in there sleepy- a muscle relaxant like epsom salts might put you to sleep in the bath! If you could take a bath, then stretch after, I think you'd feel 200% better in the morning.

Also, since you're just back into exercise, you'll want to gradually add it back in. Let your body adapt to increasing demands made on it, then when you do get to 5 days a week, you'll be a lot less sore.

Koffee

joeprim

Sorry about the spelling of stretching. I just do it a little in the morning and when ever I start ot get stiff. Don't give into this "hurt is normal at my age BS" your body hurts for a reason. Your hurts sound like stiff muscles and stretching (and of course Koffee's bath suggestion) should help.

Joe

blaine

That's all sound advice..thanks...I esp. like Koffees bath idea..haven't taken a bath in forever...

I am 42..10-12 or 13 yrs ago I was in great shape...marathon, Mnt Mitchell, etc..

I have succombed to laziness, but am gradually working my way out of it.

Guest

Try not to do it all at once- when people come back to exercise, they think they can take off where they left off. It's not that way. Consider yourself deconditioned and start slow.

Koffee

cyclwestks

I know 2 guys here recently, doc tells one he needs to lose 50 lbs, & the other 25 lbs. They get right after it. One now has knee injury from the treadmill, he's now on guess what - a bike. Other has a shoulder injury & is in physical therapy. In my opinion, Doc forgot to tell them one thing; eeeaaassee into it.

The nice weather here had me riding all week, originally had planned a long ride for Saturday, thought about hitting the pain reliever, but then did the right thing & took the weekend off.

don d.

There's nothing wrong with taking an aspirin or two a day. Aspirin is a vasodilator and helps promote blood flow into the ligaments and tendons, areas with very small and constricted capillaries. it also functions as an anti-inflammatory and can aid in healing tissue damaged from exercise.

Ibuprofin and Acetaminophen are different than aspirin in that they work on the kidneys and liver respectively and really are designed to reduce fever and kill pain. Not particularly therapeutic.

pearcem

what about anti inflamatories like alieve? are they safe to take once or twice a week?

blaine

Well, I rode 20 miles yesterday over a hilly course and ave. mph 16.2...ran 3 miles this morning..

I stretched a lot last night, esp my hamstrings, feet, ankles, and back...definitely helped out...I stretched some this morning too before run, but was on time restrictions, so now I am back at the up and down the stairs at work...a nice warm bath and a nap DOES sound good right now....

Patriot

Drink some good Bourbon. That'll kill the pain. If the pain is still there, drink some more. Eventually, even if the pain is still there, you won't care anyway. Problem solved.

I vote for stretching also. Coupled with warm hot tub therapy.

Oh, yes, and don't forget the Bourbon...

blaine

bourbon...yuck


Scotch...mmm..single malt...mmmm

actually I sleep better when I do not have anything to drink...sometimes if I drink a couple beers or glasses of wine, I wake up stressed about work/life etc.

-=solewheelin

This thread reminds me of times spent in the Physical therapist. My leg was in a straight stabilizer for 4 months due to a downhill skating injury. So the prep work to tear my tendons back into full motion was this:
Heat wrap around my full leg for 20 mins.
Slowly stretch (tear) the tendons of my knee joint about a 1/4 -1/2 inch at a time
and after about 2 months of visits, i had full motion.

So i would take a vicodin before the first 7 sessions, and it would help with the pain of my tendons being torn.
Ideally your muscles like to be warm so that they are more pliable before you stretch.
If you have no time for the heating pad, just try to promote some circulation before you stretch.. jumping jacks are good.
This is slightly off topic i know, but the point is to know the different ways to manipulate your muscles and bones into working with you. This goes deep.
The advice for the NOW brand calcium magnesium is great, ive worked in health food stores and as a vegetarian, I took that for a while, i noticed better sleeping habits and feeling more limber in my day.
And you know what else calcium supports...
The bod is a wonderful machine, but sometimes, you have to prep that too.

-=solewheelin

And of course after i regained close to full motion in my knee, i then moved to the more concentrated exercise machines, and eventually i graduated to the 30 yr old stationary bike with the big mustache handle bars in the corner of the therapy office. You have no idea how happy i was. Or maybe you do.

iowarose

How's your bike fit? I recently changed my saddle position (badly adjusted after switching saddles) and the excess soreness in my quads after interval sessions was reduced considerably. I also gained a lot of power with the new position.

But since you're just getting back into fitness, overuse does sound more likely. Still, it doesn't hurt to check bike position.

blaine

My bike fits fine..I really wish I could have that as an excuse, b/c that would be an easy fix.

The cal/mag is a great suggestion...I really never thought of that.

I am feeling better these past couple of days..I have been taking the time to stretch in the mornings before my run, and at night, too, before bed.

Haven't taken a bath yet...I need to have time to really relax for that!