How to relieve muscle overload in the legs

If you are a regular practitioner of a sport where the legs play an important role, it is likely that at some point you have experienced muscle overload. This happens when the muscles are subjected to excessive strain due to incorrect exercise technique, too much intensity, poor posture, or lack of warm-up and stretching. As a result, the muscle fibers may suffer an involuntary and continuous contraction.

Although muscle overload is common among athletes, it can also affect people who do not regularly engage in physical activity. Despite not being a serious problem, it can be bothersome and persistent if not treated properly. Fortunately, there are various techniques to relieve this ailment and restore normal muscle function.

At Sizen, we always recommend that if the discomfort persists, you see a specialist such as a physiotherapist who will help relieve the ailment and thus prevent a more serious injury.

Symptoms of muscle overload

Muscle overload manifests as a mild but persistent pain in the area where excessive effort was made. These are the main symptoms:

• Sudden pain in muscles or tendons when making a specific movement
• Sensation of pricks or tingling in the affected area
• Unexpected muscle spasms
• Warmth in the affected area
• Redness of the skin
• Muscle tightness or hardness
• Muscles sensitive to touch
• Swelling or puffiness
• Muscle tiredness or exhaustion
• Muscle weakness
• Reduced range of motion
• Dizziness

How to recover overloaded legs?

Here are some routines that will help you relieve your legs:

Do gentle and controlled stretches

Perform gradual stretches of the leg muscles, holding each position for 20-30 seconds without causing pain. Be sure to include specific stretches for the calves and hamstrings, both before and after physical activity, to prevent injuries and ease muscle tension.

Massage the affected areas

Gently massaging the muscles with a rubber ball can be very effective in improving circulation and relieving muscle tension. These deep massages help relax the tissues, reducing discomfort and promoting better recovery.

Apply heat and cold

Applying heat to the muscles helps relax them and improves their flexibility, while cold is effective in reducing inflammation and speeding recovery after physical exertion.

Keep the legs elevated

Raising the legs for 20 minutes a day can significantly improve circulation and relieve the feeling of heaviness, helping to reduce fluid buildup and fatigue in the legs.

Ensure correct posture and adjust exercise intensity

It is essential to maintain proper posture during physical activity and adjust the exercise intensity to your individual abilities to prevent injuries and ensure safe and effective training.

Take proper breaks and sleep well

Including breaks during physical activity is crucial to avoid muscle overload, and ensuring a good night's rest helps promote muscle recovery and strengthening.

Benefits of pressotherapy for treating muscle overload

If muscle pain in the legs does not improve or largely persists after trying the different options mentioned, for example, due to continuous exercise by runners and cyclists, there is still another advanced treatment: body pressotherapy. As with drainage massage, it is a therapeutic technique that involves applying controlled air pressure to reactivate both the lymphatic and circulatory systems, helping speed up muscle recovery. It is a very effective solution for cases where prolonged rest is not possible, especially for athletes, and the treatment can be done at a specialized center or with the use of a pressotherapy machine at home.

Bibliography

For the preparation of this article, we have obtained information from various relevant sources, which are as follows:

• How to relieve muscle overload in the legs
• How to relieve muscle overload in the legs: where physiotherapist Roberto Cancelo de Miguel explains what to do in case of muscle overload
• How to relieve muscle overload in the legs?
• What are some signs of overtraining?