When muscles and ligaments do not work together optimally, the body often reacts with painful stiffness. Physiotherapists explain how you can take targeted action.
Many runners know the feeling of stiff muscles and joints after training. Often, this problem is blamed on getting older or an uneven running style. But as physiotherapist Joe Uhan explains in an article for the magazine iRunFar, a completely different trigger is often behind persistent stiffness: joint instability.
For recreational athletes, this connection is particularly important. If you constantly suffer from heavy legs and restricted movement despite stretching, foam rolling and massages, you might only be fighting the symptoms. If a joint is not stable within the system, the body tries to protect itself. It tenses the surrounding muscles extremely, which ultimately manifests as a blockage and stiffness.
According to the findings of orthopaedic professor Manohar Panjabi described in the article, the stability of our joints is based on three essential pillars that must work together like a tripod:
If one of these systems does not work properly, the others have to compensate for the failure. This leads to uncoordinated movements, overloaded muscles and irritated joint surfaces. The consequence after running is a feeling of heaviness, a rapid loss of mobility and often pain. In the event of persistent complaints or unclear pain, however, a professional assessment by a doctor or physiotherapist should always be carried out.
Your takeaway: In case of persistent stiffness, do not just focus on stretching, but specifically strengthen the stabilising muscles around your joints.
This article was generated automatically with AI from the sources listed above and has not been editorially reviewed.