Jogging is not a typical cause of bruising on the legs. If, however, you have not jogged in some time or you jogged over rough terrain, you might have injured your leg muscle or tissue, which can cause a bruise. Injury is one of the most common reasons runners and joggers get a bruise; other causes can include medication or an underlying medical disorder, such as anemia. If you get bruises on your leg consistently while jogging, and they are not the result of an obvious trauma, consult your doctor.
Features
Bruises are formed as the result of broken blood vessels. The vessels break and blood leaks out and spreads out under the skin. Joggers typically experience bruises just under the skin, referred to as subcutaneous bruises, but can also have bruises as the result of vessels breaking in muscle, which are referred to as intramuscular bruises. A third type of bruise, a periosteal bruise, results when the bone gets bruised. Periosteal bruises are the most severe bruises and are usually the most painful, the MedlinePlus online medical encyclopedia notes. Joggers don't typically get bone bruises unless they fall or otherwise experience severe trauma to the legs. Bruises are characterized by pain, skin discoloration and swelling. Depending on their severity, bruises can last from several days to several months.
Causes
The most common cause of bruising is trauma to the affected area, such as getting hit or sustaining an injury. While jogging is not a particularly trauma-inducing activity, if you have not jogged in some time or were running on rough terrain, you could have torn or strained a muscle, which can lead to bruising. In most cases, however, muscle strains and tears are painful when they occur. If you did not experience a trauma while jogging, such as hitting your leg against something, and did not experience a muscle injury, you could have an underlying medical problem that is affecting your blood vessels, which can lead to bruising even with minimal trauma. In this case, jogging can put just enough pressure on the weakened vessels in your leg to cause bruising. Common causes of this type of bruising include taking medication that thins the blood and being anemic, which is a medical condition caused by not having enough iron in your blood.
Treatment
If you have a minor bruise, you can help it heal faster and reduce swelling by icing it. Wrap a cloth around an ice pack or some frozen vegetables and place it on the skin for 15 to 20 minutes at a time every hour. Keep your legs elevated above your heart to keep the blood from pooling in the area of the bruise. Rest your legs as much as possible. If the bruise is extremely painful or you feel a lot of pressure around the bruise, seek medical attention.
Considerations
If you experience bruising consistently while jogging, and you have not hit or bumped your legs against something or injured your muscle, consult your doctor. He can run tests to check if there are any issues with your blood. If you are taking medications, particularly blood thinners, discuss them with your doctor. Avoid changing the dosage on your own, as this could lead to serious medical problems. To help prevent injury and trauma to the muscles, warm up your legs for several minutes before jogging by doing some calisthenics, such as jumping jacks or running lightly in place. Gently stretching your leg muscles can also help. Jog on smooth surfaces and don't overdo it if you haven't jogged before or in more than a year.
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