Fitness, Health and Wellness

A walk is something that is healthy for all individuals, regardless of age. It is a healthy routine  that has been recommended by both medical professionals and professional athletes. Studies have also found that a simple walk benefits both your physical well-being as well as your mental well-being. However, experiencing leg pain after walking and several other niggles are unavoidable. The causes of the pain can easily be identified. Moreover, they can be rectified using simple home remedies. Why do your Legs Hurt After a Long Walk? Let us first answer why leg pains happen in the first place after a long walk. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) If you have ever experienced sore legs after a long walk, chances are you are suffering from Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. What is DOMS? It is the muscle soreness you experience after a workout. This normally happens 24 to 48 hours after the workout. DOMS, concerning walking, would normally occur when you have not engaged in any  physical activity in a while.  This also could depend on your age. The older you get, the longer the recovery period is from DOMS. Fret not though, there is no reason for any concern. It is natural and can be resolved right in  your own home. Poor Blood Circulatory System and Anatomical Reasons There are also cardiovascular, and anatomical reasons for leg pain after walking. Peripheral Artery Disease Peripheral artery disease occurs when the blood flow to the muscle groups is restricted by fat and cholesterol build-up. This is common in people who do not follow a healthy diet, and have habits such as smoking. Since blood flow is restricted to the legs during a walk, your legs will start hurting and sometimes cramp up. This  occurs because the legs are starved of oxygenated blood. Chronic Venous Insufficiency Similarly, chronic venous insufficiency results from restricted blood flow. However, it is not a result of plaque build-up in the arteries. This occurs when the valves and arteries are damaged. Subsequently, allowing the pooling of blood in the legs. So, if you ever did a long walk and experienced immediate swelling, inflammation, or sharp pain in the thighs, it is likely that you might have developed a poor circulatory system. Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Although the symptoms are similar to peripheral artery disease, the cause is very different. It has been found that when the spinal disks, vertebrae, or the surrounding structure impinge on the spinal cord, it can result in pain in the lower back. It is most commonly associated with sharp pains in the leg area. Diabetic Neuropathy Did you know that having high blood sugar levels can result in the deteriorating of nerves? Studies show that when an individual suffers from high sugar levels, the tiny blood vessels supplying to the nerves get damaged. This allows for nerve strokes to occur and is often experienced in the legs. The main symptom for this is not leg pain, it is numbness and losing the feeling of the leg at certain periods[i]. Want to know more? Learn more about how Spryng can help you! Subscribe for the latest updates and deals. How to Soothe the Pain at Home Now on to the home remedies and tips on how to reduce leg pain after walking. Simple Home Remedies Like mentioned before, you don’t need to worry about your legs hurting after a walk. If you ever do experience calf pain or swelling in the legs, home remedies are easily available. Massage One of the most common solutions is to massage. This can help flush out the excess lactic acid from the legs. This also aids the legs to pump out pooled blood and receive oxygenated blood. Of course, getting a massage from a specialist can be a bit of a hassle. Which is why SPRYNG is the perfect alternative. This muscle recovery tool uses active compression pads to mimic the skeletal pump of the calf muscles. Therefore, enabling the legs to flush out the lactic acid and get rid of the pooled blood. You can now recover from leg pain in no time! Anti-inflammatory Ointments and Gels Applying some of these ointments and gels can also do the trick. It is one of the easiest home remedies for leg pain. If it is something like DOMS, it should help ease the soreness. However, if the pain or swelling persists, it is best to consult a sports physician. Ice Another simple home remedy is to apply ice. Such an application to the legs will help the body reduce blood flow to the stressed area. This not only reduces inflammation, but also reduces pain from DOMS. Even if you do suffer from the other diseases mentioned, ice acts as a temporary solution for managing the pain, until you consult a specialist. However, if your pain persists or if you believe that your pain could be related to a condition in your blood circulatory system or if the pain could be related to a medical condition you should immediately consult with your physician. [i] https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/when-walking-makes-your-legs-hurt   FAQs Why do I feel leg pain after a long walk? If you have ever experienced sore legs after a long walk, chances are you are suffering from Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. DOMS, concerning walking, would normally occur when you have not engaged in any physical activity in a while. This also could depend on your age. Why do my legs feel numb? Studies show that when an individual suffers from high sugar levels, the tiny blood vessels supplying to the nerves get damaged. This allows for nerve strokes to occur and is often experienced in the legs. The main symptom for this is not leg pain, it is numbness and losing the feeling of the leg at certain periods.  How to soothe leg pain at home after a long walk? One of the most common solutions is to massage as this can help flush out the excess lactic acid from the legs. Additionally, applying some ointments and gels can also do the trick. It is also good to apply Ice to the legs since it will help the body reduce blood flow to the stressed area.

What Causes Muscle Soreness After a Workout? We all have heard the saying “no pain, no gain”!  Anyone who has  started  out a new or more intense training program can attest that the days following the  workout can certainly be painful. This is called muscles soreness, also known as DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). For those of you who have ever wondered, ‘why do my legs hurt when I exercise?’; it’s most likely your Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness is creeping in on you. Strength training exercises have two phases: the concentric, and the eccentric. The concentric phase occurs when you contract your muscles, whereas the eccentric phase is characterized by the lengthening of your muscles, when you return the weight back to its resting position. The eccentric phase of your workout plays a significant role in muscle soreness.  This phase is where your muscles are working the hardest and this process creates small microscopic tears in your muscle fibers. Yes, this sounds daunting! However, there is light at the end of the tunnel when it coms toall this talk about muscle pain after workout. Following the muscle tears that occurs after a high intensity or unaccustomed exercise, your muscles begin the process of repairing themselves. The new muscle cells are more resistant than the ones that were there previously. As a result, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness is responsible for making your muscles bigger and stronger than before. How Long is Muscle Soreness Supposed to Last? Muscle soreness experienced after a workout usually starts within 24 hours of the activity performed. The pain you experience can last for as long as three days to a week, depending on the degree of muscle damage and how accustomed you might be to the exercise performed. Someone experiencing Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness for the first time versus someone who has been working out regularly will react very differently.  How to Ease the Dreaded DOMS Whether you're an occasional runner, a cyclist or a CrossFit addict, you should consider recovery an essential part of your routine.  There is no proven formula to prevent Delayed Onset Muscle soreness from occurring. Fortunately there are a few tried and tested treatments to help alleviate the pain and speed up the recovery process. Here’s a list on how to reduce soreness after workout:  Foam Rolling During the muscle repair process, your muscles and fascia, the connective tissue that runs throughout the body, becomes knotted, adding to the discomfort of your Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. Foam rolling helps remove those knots and prevent muscle imbalances from forming. Foam rolling after your workout will also help to increase the blood flow to your tissues, speeding up your recovery time. Take a Rest Day During a bout of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, your exercise potential will not be at its peak. While sore, don't expect to set any personal records;  give your body time to recover and rebuild itself. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness usually affects only the body parts that were worked; so, you can  workout the other muscle groups while letting the fatigued ones recover. Active Recovery Active recovery means low-intensity and low-impact exercise that stimulates blood flow and tissue repair without further stressing the body. A low-intensity cardiovascular activity such as a swim or even a gentle yoga practice to stretch out your tired muscles are good examples of Active Recovery. SPRYNG Active Compression Solution SPRYNG™ Active Compression is a device that that uses pneumatic compression to aid blood circulation and is bound to help with Delayed Onset Muscle soreness. SPRYNG can also help aid faster recovery after strenuous exercise by promoting a heightened rate of lactic acid flush out, so you can feel brand new and energized for your next work out. 

Have you ever done a strenuous workout and felt muscle pains the following morning? Chances are that you are suffering from Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). Don’t worry though, it is an indication that you have done the workout right! Unfortunately, this pain can get a bit unbearable and may impede your daily activity. The good news is that there are several ways you can suppress this pain, and maybe even avoid it altogether! What is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness? Simply put, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness is the muscle pain you experience after doing a tiring workout. This normally settles in 24-48 hours after your high-intensity workout. Previously, it was thought that the pain is a result of lactic build-up. However, studies have found that DOMS occurs due to small muscle tears repairing itself after the workout. What Causes Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness? High-intensity workouts, especially workouts that consist of eccentric workouts, cause DOMS. This is because eccentric workouts require you to tense the muscle while lengthening it at the same time. To make it easy to understand, think of yourself on a downhill run. Because of the slope, your quads will be lengthened and tense up with every stride. Therefore, it is the most worked muscle group in this particular workout. This is typically how delayed onset muscle soreness while running occurs. Just like a downhill run, different workouts would affect other muscle groups differently. Symptoms of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Detecting the symptoms of DOMS is relatively easy. The most obvious ones are; Muscle fatigue Stiffness and reduced motion because of pain Swelling Tender muscles Temporary loss of strength As mentioned earlier, these symptoms can often be noticed 12-24 hours after the workout. These symptoms can last for up to three days, depending on how intense the workout was, or how you treat it and focus on recovery. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Treatment What helps reduce Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness? The good thing is that DOMS is easily treatable. Of course, the pain can sometimes be a bit too much to bear, but there are several home remedies for that. Massage This is one of the easiest remedies out there. A massage after an intense workout, especially in the muscle group that was most stressed, helps ease DOMS. According to several studies conducted on athletes[i], it was identified that athletes who received a massage between 24-72 hours after a workout experienced less soreness. However, receiving a massage soon after a workout can be quite difficult, time consuming and at times costly. This is where a muscle recovery tool like SPRYNG really comes to use; specially after a heavy leg day or a long run. SPRYNG provides active compression that can be used in varying levels of intensity. It also has the option of two compression patterns that are  designed to help eliminate any soreness on your legs. Your calves will thank you for this afterward! Cold Baths This is a remedy used by elite athletes. Getting into cold baths can be very difficult, but is an effective way of reducing soreness. It has been found that a 10-15-minute dip in cold water (around 50-59°F) reduces the inflammation of the muscles[ii], thereby, reducing DOMS as well. Anti-inflammatory Ointments and Gels These topical applications are a good way to relieve the pain in the area that is sore. Just make sure you follow the instructions of the packaging. Better yet, get a second opinion from a physician before application, just to make sure.  How to Avoid Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Avoiding DOMS completely is an impossible task. However, there are ways to reduce the intensity of the soreness. Here are some simple ways; Correct warmup – Always make sure you do a thorough warm-up with dynamic stretching. This helps prepare the muscles for an intense workout. One step at a time – Don’t rush your workouts. Do workouts at an intensity that suits you. It is alright if others are doing particular exercises faster. Even elites started from scratch. Cool down – Just like your warm-up, your muscles need a bit of stretching to flush out the excess lactic acid. Moreover, this also helps the muscles to stay loose. Hydrate – Drink water and consume electrolytes, so your muscles have fuel to function even after the workout. Vulnerable Individuals Athletes of many disciplines experience DOMS, regardless of them being an elite or an amateur. The most common are; Track and field athletes Cyclists CrossFit athletes Swimmers Football players Soccer players Winter sports athletes (skiers, snowboarders, speed skaters, figure skaters, etc.)   [i] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2017.00747/full [ii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4802003/      

Whether you’re working out to get into better shape or get stronger and leaner, we can’t stress enough on the positive benefits it can have on your overall wellbeing. Exercise helps us to balance our hormones, improve our mood, boost energy, and reduce the stress in our body and mind.

What causes leg pain at night? Why do my legs hurt at night? a question that some of us have asked at some point. If you are bothered by pain in your legs at night and want to find out what you can do to get some relief, you have come to the right place. Before we answer your question why do my legs ache in bed, let us first explore some of the common types of leg pain that most us of experience? Exercise-related soreness Exercise-related muscle soreness, also known as DOMS, typically occurs a day or two after exercise and can affect anyone, regardless of how fit you are. It can be experienced when you start a new exercise program, change up your exercises, or increase the length or intensity of your usual workout. The reason your muscles feel this way is due to the microscopic tears to your muscle fibres when you work out. Once you tear tissue, an inflammatory response occurs, which means swelling, pain, and soreness is experienced. But, don't be put off. While DOMS can be an unpleasant feeling, keep in mind that this is completely normal and an indication that your level of fitness is improving. If you’re wondering why do my calves hurt at night it is probably because you are more aware of the feeling once you relax and unwind from your day’s activities. Leg Cramps Leg cramps are sudden, involuntary, intense muscle pains that occur in your calf, foot, or thigh. It usually happens at night when you’re less active, or while you are asleep. They are uncomfortable, and they may wake you up and leave you feeling sore all night. Leg cramps can happen for many reasons, including poor blood circulation around your extremities such as your legs.   Restless Leg Syndrome Restless leg syndrome is a common cause of painful legs at night. Poor venous circulation of the legs, such as with varicose veins, can be one of the causes of restless leg syndrome. The leg pain of restless leg syndrome eases with motion of the legs and becomes more noticeable at rest. That’s why most people experience a worsening of symptoms and leg pain during the early evening or later at night. Home remedies to provide relief Now that we know the “why”, let us explore some leg pain at night home remedies to ease your leg pain and get some relief. Take a relaxing bath A warm bath can help you wind down and set the stage for a restful night. It’s a useful remedy to help reduce leg pain and helps ease the symptoms of RLS. Warmth helps to relax your muscles and prevents spasms & twitching. SPRYNG’s active compression solution Driven by its unique Wavetec™ compression pattern, the device helps to improve blood circulation through graduated compression of the calf muscle to accelerate healing and recovery with just 15 minutes of use. It is clinically proven to help relieve pain, reduce swelling, improve circulation, speed up recovery, and improve performance. If you were wondering how can I stop my legs from hurting at night, SPRYNG’s active compression solution is worth a try. SPRYNG™ is completely wireless, USB rechargeable, and compact enough to store in your gym bag or take with you on the go so you can experience recovery anywhere, any time. The wavetec™ compression pattern effectively mimics your skeletal muscle pump to help enhance your body’s natural circulatory flow. This means you get safe, powerful, and effective active compression that compliments your body’s natural rhythm. Stretching Another pain in legs at night home remedy is stretching. It is very effective for those night-time leg cramps. If the cramp is in your calf, straighten your leg, flex your foot so that your toes are pointing towards you.  

Many workers experience leg pain when their job requires them to be on their feet for a long time. The symptoms that arise from prolonged standing can become worse when you can’t move around much or when you wear unsuitable footwear. If prolonged standing is designed into your job, this can cause a considerable amount of pain, discomfort and swelling in your legs. If you’re a healthcare worker or work in the hospitality industry, lower leg pain from standing too long is probably something you experience on the daily and can take a significant toll on the body. The good news is that there are several things you can do to reduce calf pain from standing on feet all day. Before we dive into that, lets us answer the burning question we all have on our minds, “why do my legs hurt after work?”. Why do my legs hurt after work?  By the end of a long day of standing at work, you probably feel aches and pains from your feet all the way up to your spine. It could be nurse leg pain, waitress leg pain, or anyone’s leg pain for that matter! The most reported symptoms from extended periods of standing are discomfort, fatigue and swelling in the legs. If you wondered what causes tired legs, it's because your leg muscles are activated and working hard to keep you in an upright, standing position. This combined with minimal movement, and rest may result in your joints becoming temporarily ‘stuck’. For healthcare professionals, and those who work in the hospitality industry, repeated days of prolonged standing will result in muscles getting tired. This could, in the long term, lead to eventually having soft tissue injuries. Another factor that contributes to the pain from standing for too long is leg swelling. This happens because standing reduces blood flow and stops the normal ‘skeletal muscle pump’ in your calves that returns blood from the feet and legs to the heart.  Fluids do not move unless your leg muscles contract. When there is no leg muscle contraction, fluid buildup occurs, and veins get inflamed. People who stand for long periods of time are also prone to varicose veins Those with a family history of vein disease are even more at risk.  This is when veins in the lower extremities tend to swell and stay filled with blood, especially when standing.  In such instances, the heart must work even harder to pump the blood back up towards the thoracic cavity-fighting gravity the entire time. JOIN SPRYNG’S NEWSLETTER Signup now for an additional 10% off your next order! Plus, get our top content delivered to your inbox weekly. What to do for tired achy legs Now that we’ve determined what causes tired legs, we can explore some home remedies for sore leg muscles. If you’ve been wondering how to relieve sore leg muscles, we have a few tips and tricks to share with you. Wear appropriate footwear If you plan on standing for hours at a stretch, ditch the high heels, sandals & unsupportive flats. Choose comfortable footwear that supports your feet. For added comfort, we recommend wearing insoles to provide extra cushioning. Strength Building Practicing yoga can help you maintain a better posture, as well as loosen and strengthen the muscles of the entire body. SPRYNG Active Compression Solution SPRYNG is an untethered, active compression therapy solution which can be used while on the job, when you are commuting to work, or even at home. Remember that skeletal muscle pump in your calves we spoke about earlier? SPRYNG mimics muscle pump to rejuvenate your tired legs while standing. Whether your leg pain, associated from standing for too long, is a result of work or play, it's important to keep your legs healthy and comfortable. While leg pain has many causes and symptoms that overlap if the pain persists or worsens, do visit a doctor to obtain timely intervention.