Hey, I started exercising a few months ago just for something to do. I'm 20 years old and weigh about 140 lbs. Of course, I overdid it and consequently became sleep deprived and with sore muscles. I realised this and last week I got the flu, which further deprived my sleep but allowed my muscles to recover.

I went for a 15 minute jog on Sunday, when I was still not 100%, and since then my entire leg has been in muscle pain. I am getting about 6 hours sleep a night, the muscles are so tight. Can anyone help?

Hey Waddle,

Hope your feeling better, nothing worse than a bout of illness to take you away from training!.
Just a quick question, have you been warming up properly before your runs and stretching afterwards?

You may have over trained (as most of us do when we start off!) and your muslces maybe in a bit of shock from the new programme! If its particular muscles then RICE them and have a look on the stickies here for some stretching guides.........stretch morning and night till you feel 100% and then carry on stretching them after all exercise!

One thing you can do, although it can be a right pain, is get yourself a self massage foam roller........dont let the name foam roller kid you, this thing crushes your muscles and gives you a sports massage at home! Killer.....yes! but dam it helps with muscle pain and soreness!!!!

Hope this helps mate

A couple of suggestions:

1. Nutrition: Are you getting enough protien, vitamins, electrolytes (potasium, sodium, fluids, etc)? Drink lots of water and maybe a grapefruit and banana after a workout session to replace electrolytes and fluids.

2. A couple of aspirin at bed time, might help if the issue is inflamation. I sometimes get "restless leg syndrome" when I try to sleep after a particularly strenuous lower day and a couple of aspirin is enough to quell it.