Walking...and stretching routine? page

[becks83]

Hi all

I walk to work and back every day, and have done for years. This, plus my daily lunchtime walking, is around 5 miles a day. I used to run as well, a few times a week, but I got out of the regular habit last year after one too many injuries whilst training for a marathon and now I only do it sporadically.

The thing is, I still seem to get a lot of funny muscle problems. I did have ITBS from running, but now I get all kinds of twinges - very random as well, not always brought on by bouts of structured exercise. Currently I have a really tight, sore spot on the outside of my right knee (like ITBS pain again), sore ankles, and a 'dead'-feeling hamstring. I just can't get comfy today. Sometimes I get twinges in my glutes or hips but mostly I have really tight calves and hamstrings all the time, leading to pain.

Can just plain walking cause this?! Should I be doing a structured stretching programme? I'm just confused as to why I don't really do much full-on exercise recently but yet still get the horrible aches. I sit at a desk all day for work, by the way.

Thanks!

[katschmitty]

I know this isn't too "primal" but i was at a health expo in California last weekend, and i visited a booth "Aline" (Improving Athletes, from the Ground Up | ALINE Systems). It was inserts for your shoes to align your ankle, knee and hips. And when they put me on the laser machine, when i squatted my knees were not tracking over my ankles... it was crazy, but with the inserts everythign was in line. I've always had knee problems (both operated on when i was 20... orthroscopy with lateral release).. and i have crazy tight IT bands causing problems still. I roll the IT band out with a foam roller. Yesterday i walked with the inserts in for the first time, and did squats with it... no knee pain. First time in a long time.

I also sit at a desk all day and i try to get up and move when i can.

[becks83]

Thanks...those look interesting. I'm going to have a bit more of a read about them. I was foam rolling but it seemed to stop really doing much. I feel that there must be some imbalances somewhere and I'd like to try to sort them through exercise but it's disheartening, I don't really know where to start.