Am 39yrs ..do exercise ..4days a week..but now i feel difficulty in bending knee below and feel stiffness in my body ie legs shoulders ..is it age or some other problem..i have no medical issues..pl reply. But it’s a process that takes time and commitment. As reported by MedlinePlus: “The phrase “morning stiffness” refers to the pain and stiffness you may feel when you first wake up in the morning. Generally, if we consume too many acid-forming foods (meat, dairy, grains, processed), our blood becomes more acidic and our synovial (joint) fluid more viscous (thicker). I realize that rotator cuff recovery is the long game, but thought I would be “crushing it” more. Most of us go to bed to rest our heads, not our bodies. It’s entirely possible of course because the arches in our feet ideally work as shock absorbers. Stretching helps bring the body back into equilibrium … Your comments on the video that “stiffness is our friend” make me feel encouraged, but I feel that I should be progressing much more quickly. I just started exercising 3weeks ago, I peddle a manual sewing machine, I drive,I have a baby I carry often, it’s been like 6 months ago I wore heels and I wore it again just ones not quite long. If you don't perform a stretching routine after you workout to relax them and put them back to their normal length, they can remain"tense"and over time continually become shortened, resulting in the feeling of stiffness. Stretching that nerve cuts off its blood supply, which in turn, makes your pinky and ring fingers feel tingly and numb. Other common conditions that may cause stiff muscles include: insect bite or sting infection injury from extreme heat or cold anesthesia or medication used for surgery Why Do Your Hip Flexors "Feel" Tight? If I tell myself to not do it, I literally cannot go more than 10 minutes without doing it once. I am sorry to have to tell you this, but the truth is, we are ALL getting older. Prevention of Injury. A blood test can usually clear this up. Sign up for our six-weekly newsletter "Confessions of an Imperfect Yogi" for useful yoga and health tips plus updates on our classes, courses and retreats. Rather, releasing the restrictive capsule will create more room for the ankle to move and allow the calves to relax. I often ache all over. Some people seem to make scar tissue more abundantly than others, and there are some situations where scar formation is more abundant. This may not be obvious at first but it can lead to a sway back – which is essentially compression of the lumbar spine (usually the weakest part of the back). DO NOT stretch at all without being warmed up. Stretching is a natural motion that gives plenty of health benefits. The spine is often ram-rod rigid and the legs just flip forward. However, provided your diet is light (ie, don’t eat more than you need to live – adults are not the same as children, they have stopped growing! Stretch any area of the body that will spend excessive amounts of time in a flexed or shortened position and this will help with stiffness in the body after sitting. Often it is just minute tears that heal themselves up quickly. I feel as if I zone out for awhile, and I kinda of hear funny. Are you now wondering why your hip flexors feel tight all the time? 8. There are many different ways to stretch, some of them more useful than others. Hi, Once your joints have ‘warmed up,’ however, they will often begin to feel better, which is why doing some light stretching, even before you get out of bed, may be helpful. You may be surprised to discover what you are doing unconsciously, and how easily certain things can be resolved with specific exercises. This could be related to muscle weakness, a potential injury forming or compensating because of a past or existing injury. Attention without tension. Why do my muscles feel stiff after every workout? Many jobs these days involve repetitive tasks, loading and/or being in chronically stressful positions that affect our posture and therefore how our body feels over time. Good posture also helps reduce muscle tension. Thank you so much for your reply. Of course, I am only speculating. Every time we do intense exercise we tear our muscles. © Instituto del Corazón San Pablo. These days, we wear shoes and walk or run on concrete and asphalt rather than mixing it up with different surfaces that require our feet to work at many different angles and in many different positions. I say “should” because there are few absolute answers when it comes to humans. You should feel energized and eventually relaxed after stretching properly. Static stretches should be done at the end of your work out. If you over-stretch your muscles and “wring them out” of all their fluids, you reduce their ability to heal and may even damage them in the process, she adds. Stretch to the point of feeling tension but not pain. If we are not aware of these things, we just don’t realise they could be rectified. That's why a person under anesthesia, whose nerves are quieted, can be stretched through a full range of motion with no resistance. A lack of this vitamin can cause chronic muscle tightness. Sore muscles after physical activity, known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), can occur when you start a new exercise programme, change your exercise routine, or increase the duration or intensity of your regular workout. They go to chiropractors for adjustments and massage therapists for release. Are you now wondering why your hip flexors feel tight all the time? This is because the muscle that you are trying to stretch has actually contracted (shortened) due to the ‘stretch reflex” (a warning from the nervous system that if you don’t stop, you risk pulling/tearing a muscle). A walking lunge is a dynamic stretch that targets the same muscles. It may be that you are a little more tense than normal perhaps – being a mum – and this is the result of that. Every time we feel tense and anxious about something, there will be an accumulative physical reaction somewhere in our body. Knowing how to manage and prevent tight muscles will help keep you exercising. Loss of muscles mass and elasticity as you age can lead to painful muscle stiffness. Medications may help prevent morning stiffness, and there are nondrug treatments you can try to loosen up your stiff joints so you can begin your day. The stiffness is usually more pronounced when you bend your spine forward. DO continue to practice yoga, gently. As a result, you may feel stiffness in your lower back with or without pain. Sitting at a desk or in a car for most of the day means that we are constantly in hip flexion. Did you think you had tight hip flexors? And whereas once this fluid moved naturally, it now requires that you move your spine in order for the lubrication to occur. Face forward and let your head bend slowly to the side. Waking up feeling stiff, sore and in a whole world of pain day after day?…Really? Specifically, as the menisci degrade, they become more prone to tearing. Proper foot landing allows your body to move more efficiently and is less stressful on your body. And over time they are forced to stiffen. Ginny - There's also what people call a runners' high which is when you do these exercise, you get this release of all these hormones from your brain which make you feel really, really good. Indulging in a good stretch can help alleviate some of that stiffness and may even warm up your muscles and joints enough to prevent the risk of injury to stiff knees, ankles, hips or back. You may enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning, but too much caffeine overstimulates the nerves that control your muscles, causing them to remain partially contracted. Even for those of us that stretch and exercise regularly, we may forget to move and lengthen the whole spine. You should be getting approximately 1,000 mg of calcium and 320 mg of magnesium each day. This small investment may save you $$$ if you constantly find yourself needing expensive body work. To prevent or minimize the leg pain brought about by stretching, listen to your body and pay attention to your limitations so you avoid over-stretching. I would make sure to do lots of strengthening and lengthening exercises for your whole body and make time for yourself to relax – even if it’s a solitary walk a few times a week to clear your head and get the blood flowing. As certain parts of our spine start to stiffen with age combined with aspects of the above, the faulty movement patterns, stress, tension and habits that we have all accumulated will become more defined. The menisci are also prone to degeneration with age. The most common words in massage therapy offices are youre really tight and they are mostly meaningless words. Start slowly, five minutes with your legs up the wall perhaps or lying on the floor in a comfortable position. Unfortunately, when a total knee replacement is allowed to get stiff in the early post-operative period, the usual result is pain. Because you won't stop stretching them. After about the age of 25, the fluid between our spinal discs begins to decrease, causing the disc spaces to narrow. And when you’re sore after a hard workout, you can stretch just as far as normal — but it will hurt more, and many people describe that as stiffness rather than sore or painful. ... gymnasts could increase their flexibility more after … You have to re-set the set-point. Why Stretching Feels So Good In The Morning, According To Science ... After all, why wouldn't you want to give yourself a little extra feel-good me ... your body becomes stiff… As you take your first steps, your joints and muscles ache so much, you want to crawl right back into bed. I totally agree. I saw a doctor, and at first she said it was because a put my head back and it was cutting off the circulation to my brain, and I tried stretching without putting my head back when I stretch, and I still did it. I made a stretch routine that targets the entire body. One of the absolute best ways to cope with soreness after yoga is to do more yoga, says Fishman. The sleep, when it comes, may not be restful and we wake up feeling more tired. Just as with resistance training and cardiovascular exercise, duration, intensity and form are all important during a flexibility session. Focus on active stretching that engages agonist muscles and dynamic stretching that gradually increases range of motion before starting your primary workout. I find yoga helps rectify that. For an additional stretch, when your head is bent to the side, let it roll slowly forward about 45 degrees and hold it there for three seconds. If the condition persists or does not improve with any remedies or alterations to your training, consult a physician. Very interesting. 4. Most health conscious people by now will have heard of the acid/alkaline balance. Sometimes symptoms come and go but tend to be exacerbated by a particular activity that requires lots of little micro movements. Vegetarians have to be extra cautious to make sure they are getting enough vitamin B12 in their diet. Or, that we find it impossible to sit or lie down and do nothing!. Possible Problem #2: Your Low Back is Injured and Your Hamstrings are Contracting, Which You Feel … After passing through so much pains on my lap, I took an over the counter pain relief for 3 days and it subsided but now I’m feeling the leg is shorter than the left now which I can’t walk properly. Whether you are stretching in the morning, practicing yoga or stretching before a physical activity, be gentle in your stretching.