It is normal to have sore leg muscles that can become stiff after a jog. This soreness and stiffness can even limit your mobility for a period of time. Take care of muscles after a long jog which helps prevent soreness. If you feel pain that is there at the beginning of a jog and gets progressively worse, stop because you may have an injury that needs treatment.
Reason & Extent
Sore, stiff muscles that make it painful and even difficult to walk after jogging is natural for both new and novice joggers. The pain you feel in the muscles of your legs results from the repetition of jogging, which becomes more pronounced the longer you jog. If you are increasing your distance or jogging for longer than usual, your leg muscles become more tired and stretched. The amount of pain varies, especially if you are not conditioned to a longer distance. The next time you jog a long distance, you will feel less pain and stiffness interfering with your mobility as your muscles become accustomed to the miles.
Delayed-Onset Soreness
Muscle pain can affect you and make it difficult to walk hours after your jog, and is called delayed-onset muscle soreness. According the Mayo Clinic website, this type of pain can come on 12 to 48 hours after your jog and usually disappears in a few days. It may relieve some of the stiffness that you feel if you get up and fast walk or jog slowly during this time. If you absolutely cannot walk and feel too much pain, you should see a doctor.
Ice Bath
This may sound tortuous but an ice bath is a method of reducing sore muscles and treating minor injuries recommended by many coaches. All your muscles immersed in the ice water allow for even constriction of the muscles, repairing minor damage and numbing soreness.
As a bonus, there is a rush of blood when you step into an ice-cold bath that is effective at revitalizing areas of your body that require fresh nutrients. To make an ice bath, add several containers of ice to a bath tub filled about half-way with cold water. The ideal temperature is 12 C to 15 C or 54 F to 60 F, according to the Running Times website.
Injury
Muscle pain that interferes with walking that started during your jog may indicate an injury. Stop your activity and start this therapy immediately. Rest the injured area or the area causing pain, apply ice to the area for 20 minutes at a time four to six times daily, wrap the area with an elastic bandage to create compression -- be sure not to wrap so tightly that you cut off circulation -- and raise the area above heart level to reduce swelling. If you feel you have an injury and it is not responding to self-care. see your doctor.
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