Calf Pain When Stepping

 

Many runners use the elliptical or arc trainers as alternative exercise choices when they are rehabilitating injuries. The indoor training apparatuses allow challenging aerobic workouts without the same potentially harmful physical impact experienced when running. But outdoor runners are practiced at using a normal running “gait” pattern than their colleagues who usually exercise indoors on treadmills, ellipticals and arc trainers. Thousands of people have climbed onto trainers without any “training” in their proper use. Treadmills, ellipticals and arc trainers do not come equipped with instructions attached to each machine as to how your feet should move. Though the physiologic effects of indoor cardio workouts may be very similar to running, the actual leg motions vary in specific ways, dictated by the aparatus being used. With ellipticals and arc trainers, the foot patterns are obviously different from outdoor running since the feet rarely rise off the footplates. Calf fatigue or pain or tingling during a aerobic exercise session on a treadmill or elliptical trainer are common complaints. These specific symptoms result from the way people use their legs when exercising on the machines compared with when they run or walk on the ground.

Normal gait

Running gait

 Usually with walking or running the foot lands on the heel (heel strike) and rolls forward. When you walk faster, your stride length (the length of each step) naturally increases. Your leg muscles prime themselves to extend further and your heels reach farther to take that longer step. This cannot happen natrually on a treadmill or elliptical machine where the distance available for the next step is fixed. Your foot hits the ground prematurely, landing on the ball of the foot instead of the heel, unless you make a conscious effort to place the heel first. With practice the you can and should use the more normal heel strike pattern. Repeated stepping on the ball of the foot will exercise predominantly the calf muscles, the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, instead of the larger and stronger thigh and buttock muscles (hamstring, quadriceps and gluteal muscles). The calf muscles fatigue quickly and cramp. Lactic acid builds up and you feel painful tightness and resistance as the muscles fight against the work you are asking them to do. Essentially, it is as if you are walking or running on your toes. You want to make sure your weight is firmly on the heel of your foot when you begin stepping down on a leg. This places your body weight properly with your center of gravity more posterior and will use you muscles and energy more efficiently.