relief of aching legs using the World Run Recovery System

Aching Legs 'Angry Muscles' and 'Accidental Athletes'

Do your legs feel like this at the end of a long day?

What are 'angry' muscles'?

Angry Muscles are muscles that have been used-abused and overused without being given chance to recover properly before being used again

They reflect their disapproval by becoming inflammed, sore, stiff, tight and this results in leg muscle fatigue, aching heavy legs, swollen ankles, cramping and other problems associated with poor lower leg circulation-see www.hazards.org/standing

A group of people at risk of developing 'angry muscles' because they usually have no control of what they do, are those in occupations that have to spend long hours on their feet either standing or walking or sitting down for their shift

What is an 'accidental athlete'?

An 'Accidental Athlete' is someone who is unintentionally performing similar feats of endurance and suffering from similar injuries and complaints as those aquired by their counterparts in the 'Intentional Athlete' field

But without the benefits of research and access to the same or similar areas of recovery as that available to the 'Intentional Athlete'

Some occupations of 'Accidental Athletes' include

Retail staff • Catering/waiting staff • Machine operators • Teaching staff • Assembly line workers • Construction workers • Checkout operators • Hairdressers/barbers • Casino dealers • Dental staff • Postal workers/sorters • Traffic wardens • Industrial laundry staff • Bar/hospitality staff • Health care workers • Museum staff • Nursery staff • Library assistants • Reception staff • Warehouse staff • Meeter-greeters • Canvassers • Bank staff • Cleaners • Flight attendants • Ticket collectors • staff in hospitals • Maintenance workers • Security workers • cabin staff with airlines • Dockers • Printers • Laboratory technicians • Personal trainers • Doctors • Firefighters • Gardeners • Refuse collection workers • Nurses

There are of course many other professions and occupations out there in the world that is not covered in this list-but that does not make them less prone to the leg health problems caused by such things as standing too long, walking too far and sitting down too much during the course of the working day

Take the Accidental Athlete Quiz

Does your occupation require you to?

• Stand for long periods on your feet

• Spend much of your time walking

• Under constant pressure

Do you feel that?

• There are not enough hours in the day

• When you have a rest break it is not enough time to recover

• When you sit down the legs throb

• When you sit down too long and try to stand up your muscles are stiff?

When you get home are you?

• Tired

• Exhausted

• Legs aching

• Ankles and feet swollen

• Have lower backache

When you are at home do you?

• Have to do household duties

• Look after the kids

• Go play with the kids

• Get ready and go out raging

To prepare for this do you?

• Make a stiff drink to unwind

• Kick the dog (if you can lift your leg)

• Shout at someone you love to let off steam

• Go for a hot shower and sit down to relax

• Lie down with the feet elevated and hope the legs will recover so you can carry on with your normal after work arrangements

When you are in bed do you have problems sleeping because?

• You are wound up from your day

• You have to get up to do it all again tomorrow

• Your legs are sore and throbbing

• The leg muscles feel ‘angry’

Angry muscles can interfere with sleep because the muscles cannot cut off and stop moving.

• The legs ache

• They will not settle and you have to keep moving them

If you answered yes to most of these questions you are an

Accidental Athlete!

There are 2 main groups of people with Aching Angry leg recovery concerns

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

• They make a deliberate choice to do a chosen sport.

• This could be running-walking-soccer or any other sport they choose to do.

• The ‘Intentional Athlete’ goes out to

• Get them selves to a certain level of fitness but not bother competing

• Goes out with the intention of competing

• Does it for fun

• Just does it

• Can call a halt to whatever they are doing whenever they wish

Intentional athletes

If these people are here accidentally and have recovery after sport concerns they can go to they can go to www.aching-legs-relief.com for the World Run Recovery System

The 'Accidental Athlete’ who

Is in an occupation that requires them to stand or walk or sit in an office on a daily basis

• Has no intention of being an athlete

• Does not want to compete

• Does not want to get to any level of fitness

• Has to work for a living

• Has no choices.

Accidental athletes

A group of athlete's most similar to the accidental athletes are the ultra marathon athletes

Ultra marathon is very long distance competition where they have to run or walk as far as possible in a given time.

It can be over 6 hours-24 hours-48 hours-6 days-16 days or even around the world www.worldrun.org

They have to get up and get back on the track or road on a constant basis whether they want to or not to achieve their objective

The person with occupational aching legs also has to get up and go to work on a constant basis whether their legs have recovered or not.

The main similarity is that their muscles are always sore, stiff, and fatigued-the muscles are angry-at the abuse they are having to endure

The long term effects on both groups is also similar www.hazards.org/standing

Why is it so?

Problems caused by calf muscle pump inefficiency include

• Varicose veins

• Poor circulation

• Lymph system inactivity

• Venous return reduced

• Constant sitting-the calf muscles are not being used at all so they do not pump fluid up the legs

• Standing in one place-the muscles do not move and provide power to the calf muscle pump

To work efficiently, the calf muscles must be working properly

Swollen ankles

One of the causes of swollen ankles and aching legs is the leg muscles being too tight and the calf muscle pump which moves depleted blood from the lower legs against gravity back to the body is not working properly

The blood is made up of many things including water, when the blood is static,the fluid separates from it and fills the tissue spaces-as it can't be pumped away fast enough, the ankles swell

The Calf Muscle Pump

The muscle pump is made up of all the leg muscles and together they form a pump which forces used blood against gravity 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 one-way valves in the veins, letting blood pass through them; when the tension is released, they close stopping the blood flowing back down towards the feet

Oxygen 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.

Calf muscle tightness reduces the veins ability to open and close by keeping constant tension on them, this is called calf muscle pump inefficiency

Problems caused by calf muscle pump inefficiency include

• Poor circulation

• Lymph system inactivity

• Venous return reduced

There are many other problems caused by venous inefficiency and it may be worthwhile looking at www.hazards.org/standing

One of the reasons the ankles swell and the legs feel heavy

Gravity and the weight of blood in the body

Water is subject to pressure-at the surface the pressure is the same as the atmospheric pressure but the the deeper goes the pressure (and weight of it) increases

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

Arterial Pressure and Venous Pressure

The body is subject to 2 types of pressure that has an effect on fluid down at the in the lower legs they are from the veins and arteries

The veins and arteries are very complicated and have many purposes-but the basic one of each in the circulation cycle is that the arteries pump fresh blood under pressure to all parts of the body while the veins return used blood back to the body for recycling

Arterial Pressure

Blood is pumped under pressure down to the bottoms of the feet by the arteries through a series of vessels that decrease in size-by the time it reaches them all the pressure has been used and there is none left to return the depleted blood back up the legs through the veins again

Once in the veins it becomes subject to pressure from gravity and this is known as venous pressure

Venous Pressure

As it is held in a column contained by the body the pressure is lower at the top of the head and higher at the feet

Head -10 mm hg

Feet +90 mm hg

With all the weight on the legs and the feet we would be a triangular shape-if it was not for the end of the toes holding everything in we would just empty out!

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

First aid needed for fatigued leg muscles

First aid is usually given to someone when they have an accident-but the legs can also be in need of first aid when the muscles are fatigued and aching

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.

Taking care of your tired heavy legs can be as simple as having better foot and shoe comfort; good shoes can prevent ankle and foot pain

No matter how much you take care of the feet, it still cannot take care of the aching legs after the day's work and the legs have developed that aching throbbing feeling

There are ways to give the legs first aid

It can be passive; this means letting the legs have their own way and letting them fix themselves up

The effects of hydrostatic pressure can be reversed by using gravity (after all it took it there in the first place) so it can take it back up the legs again!

Lie down with the legs elevated (anything interesting on the television?)

-10 mm hg

+90 mm hg

If time constraints are not an issue then this is the best option to take

If time is a problem

You need a pro-active method of getting all that used blood and fluid back up the legs so that fresh blood can flood the muscle tissues and help them recover again

Active recovery for aching legs
Active Recovery means taking a pro-active role in helping the calf muscles to work the pump at moving the fluid up the legs.

This is where the legs are helped to recover using a system that is directed at increasing the circulation so that fresh blood can flood the muscle tissues

The secret to a faster recovery is to reduce input/output required through-

• Simplicity

• Non invasive

• Predictability

• Consistency-conditions the muscles by repetition.

This is applied through

The latest in non-technical, non-invasive 'cutting edge' solutions to fatigued aching legs relief-the World Run Recovery System

The advantages of using the World Run Recovery System

Do It Yourself recovery

• No disrobing

• Works with the muscles not on them

• No oil used

• Non invasive

• User friendly

• Easy to learn

The World Run Recovery System-A tested Trusted Alternative

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 competitor<>s 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


Win! Win!
It is very difficult for the 'Accidental Athlete' to win any races as they are competing with themselves on a daily basis, but in this situation everyone wins.

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

www.worldrun.org

There are not enough funds to cover my time on the road so I am making my many years of knowledge available for the princely sum of $20 a manual.

This will go towards defraying my costs of being involved in the world run project, and at the same time let the marathon runner share the experience of a recovery similar to that of the world runners at a very affordable price without coming with us to get my skills!

Restless Leg Syndrome or Angry muscles?
Is your occupation wrecking your sleep?

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.

*Many people diagnose themselves as having restless legs which is a sleep disorder and its origins may be medical; there are treatments for these so it recommended that a visit to a physician to get it identified would be the first course of action.

ANGRY muscles are giving a reaction to overuse by standing or walking on a consistent basis-they do not have chance to recover properly before repeating the same action over and over.

When the time comes for sleep, they throb and ache and the brain cannot switch the muscle nerves off so they keep wanting to move.

This is possible to see in ultra marathon athletes when they have been going around a track for 18-20 hours-on resting the legs just keep moving and the nerve actions can be seen rippling up the calf muscles.

It is the World Run Recovery System that calms them down

Contact mgillan@hotmail.com

Check out our manuals-is your occupation there?

If not let us know and we will do one for you

If you are an industry looking for some occupational leg relief we will negotiate a license with you for manuals for your workers

Angry Muscles Relief

Some linked websites

http://www.cardiovascular-exercise-equipment.com

http://www.promote-health.org

http://www.feet-and-legs.com


Copyright 2007 aching-legs.org