Seizing up

[Yesletsgo]

Over the last week or so we've been constantly on the move. Travelling slowly along the canals is wonderful but the lack of exercise is taking its toll. I'm moving around the boat and pulling on ropes when we go through locks but I've only managed maybe a short walk if I'm lucky before we set off, 8 hours of inactivity then a long walk to find somewhere to eat at the end of the day. Some days we just stay on the boat. My hips and knees are seizing up .

The mornings have been misty, and my Mum's warning, 'Fog is unhealthy' has left a lasting impression so we haven't run. Finally, Wednesday had the perfect combination. The sun was shining, there was a clear towpath next to us and we'd told the lock keeper not to expect us until 10.30.

During the warm up walk I felt like a rusty old machine was being coaxed back into action. My joints ached but though sunny it was chilly so the incentive was to keep on moving. After about 4 minutes we started to run and everything seemed to slot into place. I was going quite quickly (for me) but my heart rate wasn't excessive and I certainly wasn't overdoing it. No pain at all.

We'd decided on 3 km and the half way point took us to a bridge from where we could see the next lock. I wanted to continue but my husband pointed out we had a deadline so we reluctantly turned back.

I stopped running after 3 km and all the aches and pains came back with a vengeance as soon as I started walking, especially in my right hip. I was actually limping. I've never had any problems on that side before so can only think that either I've been sitting awkwardly or else favouring my left side and put the right out of alignment (I fell and sort of knocked my left hip out of place so have been being careful with it).

We came back to the UK the following day and had a difficult journey culminating in our flight being delayed 4 hours. Most of this was spent standing around and by the time we got on the plane I was in so much pain I could barely walk. I had to take some painkillers. The only ones I had were cold and flu relief so I got a decongestant and a much needed shot of caffeine too lol. I'm hoping that a weekend on dry land with a reasonable activity level will sort things out. My instinct tells me that if I sit around it will get worse.

If I'm not feeling normal by Tuesday I'll be doing the 8am 'how many times do I have to call the doctor before I get through?' routine. Any suggestions very welcome, especially for easy, gentle hip stretches.

[Roxdog Graduate]

Sounds like you had a good run but poor you!So I don't know if this helps, but over the first part of this year I was barely running what with one thing and another going on in my life and I became quite sedentary, when I wasn't rushing around after various family members. A combination of cold weather and little exercise left my hips seized up and my legs ached and I had a niggly knee.

A week walking in Wales sorted me out. I had been limping a bit and was very stiff.

So I think you're right - you've seized up. The run probably did you good, but I'm not surprised you hurt. Also, if you've been travelling on a barge, maybe the bed has affected you?

I found yoga helped - particularly lizard pose, which opens the hips. Also I do qigong (lots of routines on youtube), but guess what, during my period of inactivity I wasn't even bothering with yoga or qigong!

Obviously the GP is the best place if you're in severe pain, but my experience is they tend to prescribe anti inflammatories first. Maybe a trip to a physio would help.

Good luck.

[Yesletsgo Administrator in reply to Roxdog]

Thanks Roxdog , your experience sounds very similar to mine. Glad you're feeling back to normal.

I'm already feeling better as I write (fingers definitely crossed!) having taken it easy but gone for a couple of little walks to the shops.

I just Googled the Lizard Pose - wow, I don't think I could do that even on a good day 😂 I'll have to get a video and see how far I can stretch!!

What's weird is the running didn't hurt at all, just walking. I wonder if the different range of movements for running has something to do with this.

[Roxdog Graduate in reply to Yesletsgo]

Sorry I missed your reply, but what you said really resonates with me. Walking seems harder than running when you feel seized up. I suspect it's because our muscles warm up more on a run.

[SueAppleRun Graduate]

Oh you have stiffened up, hope some stretching and being on dry land will ease the pain, good run though

[Yesletsgo Administrator in reply to SueAppleRun]

Thanks, it already seems to be helping. One thing about all these aches and pains, it's really nice when they stop for a while!

[SueAppleRun Graduate in reply to Yesletsgo]

Yes it certainly is, let's hope yours stop soon for a long while

[Yesletsgo Administrator in reply to SueAppleRun]

I do hope so. I'm finding it hard to walk properly sometimes, I'm all hunched up like an old lady because the legs just aren't moving properly. Very annoying.

[Wavy-chick28 Graduate]

I feel your pain, I too due to illness and family emergencies and commitments have become too sedentary ! Had my first run in ages on Thursday and boy have I felt creaky since but plan to stretch and go back out today for a short trot.

My mum always said use it or lose it, but as the others have said if it continues get onto the Docs even though that in itself is painful .

Wishing you well

[Yesletsgo Administrator in reply to Wavy-chick28]

It's horrible isn't it? Luckily things seem to be getting better now I'm moving a bit more. Your mum had the right idea.

[MissUnderstanding Administrator]

Oh no! Poor you-I feel your pain…literately! The way my injury started was similar. No knee pain and then awful pain that wouldn’t go away, even with just walking. It calmed down but it’s still come back with runs.

I would totally recommend seeing a physio. I went privately and it was money really well spent in my opinion. My knee pain caused by issues around my hips which I wouldn’t have know without a professional looking at me. Now I have a programme of exercises using resistance bands (which would be easy to do even with limited space), guidance on how much to run and when to stop if I get pain, and best of all, reassurance that it will be better with time. It hasn’t gone but it’s so much better.

Really hope things improve for you. Sending sympathy and healing thoughts your way.

[grumpyoldgirl Graduate]

Oh what a shame, the airport delay on top of it all!I agree with MissUnderstanding , some exercises with resistance bands are good to rebuild strength in your hips, but really you need a physio to look at you first. I'd hate to recommend something that would make things worse.

My GP surgery has a physio service attached, I don't suppose yours has something similar?

[Yesletsgo Administrator in reply to grumpyoldgirl]

Yes, my surgery has a great physio, but when I went there was a couple of weeks wait for an appointment. The doctor told me they like to allow that length of time for exercise related conditions as often the answer is mostly RICE. Not sure how I'd compress my hips though - Spanx??

[grumpyoldgirl Graduate in reply to Yesletsgo]

🤔😅

👏to be fair it took a while for me to get seen, too. It's beyond frustrating! In your case it's ironic because it seems that your problems were caused by LACK of exercise!

Maybe try some gentle hip flexor stretches, there may be some on nhs strength & flex, and some very gentle clamshells might be ok.

[Oldgirlruns Graduate]

Oh dear, what a shame YLG; what starts as a lovely bimble round the canals ends up with you seizing up! I was going to ask if there’s a possibility of one driving while the other (you! ) runs along the towpath, in which case you’d be able to move the boat and stay active at the same time. That assumes there are towpaths of course and I don’t know about the French waterways system; it might mean a check of the map to work out places where you can get back on board as well of course! Probably now academic if you’re home again but possibly something to think of another time? In the meantime, welcome home and I hope you start to feel a bit more mobile again soon! A trip to the physio sounds like a good idea.

[Yesletsgo Administrator in reply to Oldgirlruns]

My husband suggested something similar, but we're covering around 20km/day. Not sure I'm up to doing distances like that!!

[Oldgirlruns Graduate in reply to Yesletsgo]

Oh crikey, no! I assumed your husband would stop after a few km to let you back on board again!

[Yesletsgo Administrator in reply to Oldgirlruns]

He's suggested pacing the deck as we move along, which isn't such a bad idea but the boat isn't very big so we'll have to see