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MQ5 · 04-25-2009, 09:12 AM

I started trying to get in shape in February with power walking.
I did pretty well and was up to 3 miles quickly. At the time I had some aches and pains that I thought were due to disuse and cheap shoes.

So I bought better shoes, double checked my stretching technique and kept going.

Although my left leg seems to be stronger as I would expect, my right leg does not. It is usually stiff despite stretching and often there is a lot of muscle cramping along the front of the shin.

A couple of weeks ago I also noticed that my gait seems uneven and I seem to stumble a bit off the right leg. It is very noticeable on the treadmill and slightly less bothersome on hard trail.

Often I can work through the stiffness and keep up a really good pace. Sometimes however my right shin is so tight and painful I limp through a couple of miles and pack it in. There are also times when I do not experience any stiffness or pain at all - but this seems to be getting more rare.

At first I thought I might be over striding so I have been really working on that but I have seen minimal improvement. I have even thought it might be psychological.

I dont notice odd pains else where - like pains from compensating for the uneven gait.

But I am really really bothered by this right leg thing. Since I have been doing this for a while my cardiovascular health is much improved and I want to get faster at walking. But right now that right leg hampers me!

Of interest - I have been following the couch to 5k program for a couple of weeks on my treadmill. Aside for a little bit of uneven gait I have not had the same stiffness or shin pain as when I walk.

Any idea what might cause this odd problem?

04-25-2009, 09:12 AM	#1 (permalink)
MQ5 Stinky Feet Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 92	Right leg stiffness I started trying to get in shape in February with power walking. I did pretty well and was up to 3 miles quickly. At the time I had some aches and pains that I thought were due to disuse and cheap shoes. So I bought better shoes, double checked my stretching technique and kept going. Although my left leg seems to be stronger as I would expect, my right leg does not. It is usually stiff despite stretching and often there is a lot of muscle cramping along the front of the shin. A couple of weeks ago I also noticed that my gait seems uneven and I seem to stumble a bit off the right leg. It is very noticeable on the treadmill and slightly less bothersome on hard trail. Often I can work through the stiffness and keep up a really good pace. Sometimes however my right shin is so tight and painful I limp through a couple of miles and pack it in. There are also times when I do not experience any stiffness or pain at all - but this seems to be getting more rare. At first I thought I might be over striding so I have been really working on that but I have seen minimal improvement. I have even thought it might be psychological. I dont notice odd pains else where - like pains from compensating for the uneven gait. But I am really really bothered by this right leg thing. Since I have been doing this for a while my cardiovascular health is much improved and I want to get faster at walking. But right now that right leg hampers me! Of interest - I have been following the couch to 5k program for a couple of weeks on my treadmill. Aside for a little bit of uneven gait I have not had the same stiffness or shin pain as when I walk. Any idea what might cause this odd problem?