womens sports and aching legs recovery

Shop 'til You Drop with Aching Legs?

Aching legs and sore feet were not on your shopping list but you went home with them anyway

The legs can show they have had enough of shopping by feeling irritable and aching when the owner finally stops to give them a rest

The ankles and feet have swollen, making the shoes tight; as they swell it makes the person walk a little diferently to the way they usually do; the extra stress on the muscles tightens them more leaving them sore for the next day.

Swollen ankles (edema) fluid build up in the tissues; fluid cannot be pumped away fast enough as the calf muscle pump is not working efficiently, so the ankles will swell.

There are 2 main groups of people with aching leg recovery concerns

The 'Intentional Athlete' with sports related leg recovery problems.

They make a deliberate choice to do a chosen sport.

Shopping Accidental Athletes who sets out just to shop all they can in a given time

See any similarities between the shopping sales and this 24 hour event?

The average shopping time based on being out after breakfast and being back by tea time is 9 hours (well it seems like it to me sometimes) this is broken by time out for lunch about an hour and toilet stops

The rest of the time is spent standing in lines to get served and slow walking to checkout the merchandise

Long hours on the feet mean that the leg muscles tighten, and when they do, the calf muscles lose flexibility which stops them working properly, which prevents them doing one of their jobs they need to do; assist in pumping use blood and fluids up the legs back to the body.

If the legs are not enjoying the day out neither will the rest of your body because with unhappy legs carrying it around movement will be slowed; protests from them will continued to be felt even after you decide to rest them

Leg fatigue and Poor circulation

To keep the muscles happy they need a constant supply of fresh blood going in to the tissues, to keep this happening, used blood has to be removed from the legs because if not, it acts as block and prevents the exchange

Part of the reason the legs ache is that the muscles are fatigued because the tissues are not recieving enough supplies of fresh blood to keep them working properly-they can't recover and continue to do what they are supposed to be there for-to provide us with mobility

Gravity and the weight of blood in the body

The body is subject to 2 types of pressure down towards the feet

Pressure from the arteries-Forced Pressure

The heart pumps blood under pressure to all parts of the body; including the legs; because it is being pumped, this pressure is higher than the standing still pressure

Pressure from the veins-Hydrostatic Pressure

Pressure from blood and lymph fluid is held in the lower legs by gravity-this blood and lymph fluid should be returned back to the body by the venous system.

Water is subject to pressure-the deeper it is the more pressure there is at the bottom; on the surface the pressure is the same as the atmosperic pressure but the deeper it is the more the pressure increases

Blood in the body is similar; in a standing person, the pressure at the head is almost non-existent, but at the feet the lowest part of the body, the pressure and the weight of the blood in the veins is higher

The term for this is Hydrostatic pressure (Hydro-water Static-standing still) and is measured in millimeters of Hydrostatic gravity

-10 mm hg

+90 mm hg

Long hours walking on flat floors tightens the leg muscles making the calf muscles lose flexibility and stops them working properly, which prevents them assisting in pumping use blood and fluids up the legs back to the body

The Calf Muscle Pump

The calf muscle pump forces used blood back up the legs so that it can be replaced by fresh blood-it is made up of the muscles in the legs-which are the main power source

The arteries take fresh blood from the heart under pressure to the rest of the body-when it arrives at the lowest part of the body-the feet-it has run out of pressure and there is none left to take it back up the legs to the body again

The calf muscle pump forces used blood against gravity through the veins up the legs back to the body for recycling by alternately putting pressure on the venous system and releasing it-as the muscles sqeeze, they open the one-way valves, letting blood pass through them

When the tension is released, they close stopping the blood flowing back down towards the feet-depleted blood is progressively moved from the lower legs back up to the body where it is re-nourished with oxygen and nutrients and sent back out again to various parts of the body through the arteries

When the calf muscles are not working, the pump is not either-it has become inefficient

First aid needed for leg muscles

To assist the legs to recover when they are fatigued they need some form of first aid to empty the depleted flood and lymph fluid out of the legs to make way for fresh blood to flood the muscle tissues with oxygen

This can be done in either of 2 ways

Reversing the effects of gravity-the passive way

A way to change the pressure of gravity of course is to simply lie down with the legs elevated higher than the body-

-10 mm hg

+90 mm hg

This will let the fluid in the ankles flow back to the body so the fresh blood can flood the muscle tissues and help them to recover-however this does not do anything towards relieving the legs of muscle tightness

Because it relies on gravity to do the work, the legs are just waiting for it to all happen for an unspecified period time that could be spent doing something else.

or it can be done using the active way and making the legs do the work

The active way of recovering

Taking a part in the leg recovery

To keep the circulation in balance in the legs and reduce muscle fatigue, the same volume of blood should come out of the legs as goes into them.

The faster the legs receive help, the faster they recover but it is important they get it as soon as possible before soreness and stiffness limits what can be done with them.

This can be done using

• Simplicity

• Predictability

• Consistency

Turn Your home into a Micro-Recovery Center by working with the muscles not on them with-Do It Yourself recovery

• No disrobing

• No oil used

• Non invasive

• User friendly

• Easy to learn

This is applied using

The latest in non-technical, non-invasive 'cutting edge' solutions to fatigued aching legs relief-

Light Manual Muscle Relaxation-the World Run Recovery System

I am the Muscle Recovery Specialist as part of it and expected to be on the road for a fair part of the distance. www.worldrun.org

In Australia it is very difficult to get sponsors unless you already have a big name as a star-

For support crew who do cannot supply glamor it is impossible.

There are not enough funds to cover my time away so I am making my many years of knowledge available to the public.

Buying a manual form me will defray my costs of being involved in the world run project, and at the same time let the tourist share the experience of a recovery similar to that of the world runners at a very affordable price.


$20.00 a manual


Win Win!

It is very difficult for the tourist to win any races as they are competing with themselves and their circulation but in this situation everyone wins.

With your support I get to on the World Run and you gets the very same recovery system I will be using on World Run 2!

Some References

Michael's methods of massage and blister care helped me to stay mobile throughout the race and to recover quickly afterwards. His techniques are safe and gentle.
Unlike some treatments, which put the runners and walkers at risk of muscle tears or infection, Michael's techniques are gentle, safe, reassuring, and highly effective. They enhance comfort and flexibility, build confidence, and promote success.

This booklet will help others to learn and practice Michael's methods. It is recommended reading for everyone who walks and runs and who wants to go further, go faster, or just to enjoy life more!!'

SANDRA BROWN 1996 Ladies 1000 Mile World Record Holder

1999 Ladies 100 mile Race walking World Record Holder
"I know that your massage kept a number of competitors in the event. The cold weather of Saturday afternoon and night certainly got to many of the walkers and your prompt action had them back in the race after a short stop.
In years past, that would have ended up as a non-finish. A number of walkers were able to keep going for the full 24 hours on the basis of your expert help."

Tim Ericson Secretary Australian Centurions Club

'I have known Michael Gillan for many years and have always got quick relief for my aches and pains from the stretching he performs'.
CLIFF YOUNG-75-80 24 Hour World Record Holder (150.07 kilometers)

A word from Jesper Olsen World Runner about Light Manual Muscle Relaxation
"If I hadn't had the qualified help from the excellent masseur Michael Gillan, taking several thousands of km out of my legs, I could spare myself the effort!"

"My crew for the current stages, Michael Gillan, has proven to have other talents than the quite taxing job of taking care of all the requirements of a really tired ultra runner!
He has since years back been working on a new approach to stretching and muscle-rebuilding for ultra runners. I have the last two days tried his careful stretch and massage, and a bit to my surprise the muscles are beginning to feel like before the start back in Greenwich, London!!

Usually I doesn't take massage as the legs of an ultra runner will often be quite sore during the long time events (and especially in an multi-year event like this...), and getting a massage can at times cause more injury and cramping up than good. For example my last massage was some 12 000km ago when I ran the 12-hour competition in Finland. And so far that has been the only one.

But Gillan came with best recommendations from my main contact in Australia, Phil Essam, who besides being vice president in the Australian Ultra runners Association has heaps of good knowledge to share. And this new kind of mild massage for ultra runners is definitely one of the good tips! There should be a fair chance that I actually get fresh enough to do some decent running at the 6 Day Race that I have coming up in Colac from the 21.November. I quite look forward to that, even though I can't expect to make a top class result :-)"

He won!

756.2 kilometers (Jesper holds the record for the longest run in history over 26000 kilometers and the first person to run around the world
Taken from www.worldrun.org

Warning

Do not self diagnose-before having any treatment at all on legs, it is strongly recommended that any underlying cause of them is investigated by medical professionals-the first stop is to the doctor.

Some links

http://www.artists-paintings.org