Side Stitches - How to Avoid Them
Side stitches (side pains), that occur when running are often very painful and uncomfortable. Obviously, such distraction will hinder a beautiful running experience straight away. The pain will usually begin as a hint of discomfort, increasing in severity sharply over a matter of minutes. These are dangerously, strictly speaking, but side stitches are a nuisance to runners that might end your workout abruptly.
So, What Is A Stitch?
A “side-stitch” is felt on either the right or the left side of the body. Most often, it arises on the left side. It most acutely manifests in the area just below your ribs. The pain can be very intense at times and will usually cause you to stop running altogether.
Why Stitches Occur
As yet, there is no definite medical explanation for why stitches occur – and in particular during running. Naturally, though, there are several theories. Some research seems to agree that that stitches are more likely to occur with beginner runners, because they are more likely to engage in rapid or shallow breathing.
Rapid breathing is thought not fully invoke and relax the diaphragm, causing muscles on one side of the body to contract forcefully. Another more fanciful theory is that rapid breathing, when combined with the jolting actions caused by running while exhaling as your right foot touches the ground, puts additional strain on the ligaments near the liver and the diaphragm, which then causes the pain to occur on the left side of the body.
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Some research concludes that eating a meal within an hour or so of a run can make you more likely to suffer side stitches, and drinking sugary or carbonated drinks is a catalyst as well. The prevailing theory here, is that the digestive system has not finished processing the food and drink completely and this could be the reason for the sharp pains felt on the side.
Still other research offers that if a runner does not engage in proper warm-up before running , and to start running too fast, too soon, will cause side stitches to occur.
Preventing Stitches
Knowing what causes side stitches is well and good, but what you really want is to prevent them from happening. The first thing to take note of, if whether you get side stitches rarely or often.
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If you perceive that you get side stitches often, your very first step is to monitor what you are eating before heading out the door for your run. Ensure that you are not eating a meal, even a small snack, with large amounts of liquid within one to two hours of a run. You can drink a bit of water, though not too much, and avoid sports drinks and carbonated beverages. If you must drink, water is always your best choice before a run, especially in the hot weather.
A more surprising method for preventing side stitches is to engage in deep breathing exercise in a predictable and rhythmic manner. Smooth, slow, and complete breathing cycles will enable you to avoid rapid breathing. When performing your breathing exercises, be sure that you are breathing in and out completely, and that you strive to maintain a proper posture.
The “proper posture” when running is to keep your back straight, not bent over, to have your chest unhindered for easy breathing. Your arms bent at 90-degree angles to the ground, and are held loosely at your sides. This posture will ensure that your muscles are not being squeezed, which can cause painful muscle cramps.
Sometimes your best efforts to avoid side stitches will be defeated, and you will experience one anyway. If you do happen to experience side stitches, try to press hard into the side that hurts and breathe deeply. Trying to keep a good posture during these episodes is hard, but it remains important, so try your best. After a slow, even-paced breathing and firm massage of the affected area the pain should subside and hopefully will not return during your running session.
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