relief of aching legs using the World Run recovery system

Are your aching legs after work ruining your sleep?

Take the Accidental Athlete Quiz

Does your occupation require you to?

• Stand for long periods on you feet

• Spend much of your time walking

• Under constant pressure

Do you feel that?

• There are not enough hours in the day

• When you have a rest break it is not enough time to recover

• When you sit down the legs throb

• When you sit down too long and try to stand up your muscles are stiff?

When you get home are you?

• Tired

• Exhausted

• Legs aching

• Ankles and feet swollen

• Have lower backache

When you are at home do you?

• Have to do household duties

• Look after the kids

• Go play with the kids

• Get ready and go out raging

To prepare for this do you?

• Make a stiff drink to unwind

• Kick the dog (if you can lift your leg)

• Shout at someone you love to let off steam

• Go for a hot shower and sit down to relax

• Lie down with the feet elevated and hope the legs will recover so you can carry on with your normal after work arrangements

When you are in bed do you have problems sleeping because?

• You are wound up from your day

• You have to get up to do it all again tomorrow

• Your legs are sore and throbbing

• The leg muscles feel ‘angry’

• The legs ache

• They will not settle and you have to keep moving them

If you answered yes to most of these questions you are an

Accidental Athlete!


Some occupations of Accidental Athletes include

Retail staff • Catering/waiting staff • Machine operators • Teaching staff • Assembly line workers • Construction workers • Checkout operators • Hairdressers/barbers • Casino dealers • Dental staff • Postal workers/sorters • Traffic wardens • Industrial laundry staff • Bar/hospitality staff • Health care workers • Museum staff • Nursery staff • Library assistants • Reception staff • Warehouse staff • Meeter-greeters • Canvassers • Bank staff • Cleaners • Flight attendants • Ticket collectors • staff in hospitals • Maintenance workers • Security workers • cabin staff with airlines • Dockers • Printers • Laboratory technicians
• Personal trainers • Doctors • Firefighters • Gardeners • Refuse collection workers • Nurses

There are 2 main groups of people with Aching Angry leg recovery concerns

The 'Intentional Athlete' with sports related leg recovery problems.

• They make a deliberate choice to do a chosen sport.

• This could be running-walking-soccer or any other sport they choose to do.

• The ‘Intentional Athlete’ goes out to

• Get them selves to a certain level of fitness but not bother competing

• Goes out with the intention of competing

• Does it for fun

• Just does it

• Can call a halt to whatever they are doing whenever they wish

Intentional athletes

The “Accidental Athlete’ who

Is in an occupation that requires them to stand or walk or sit in an office on a daily basis

Has no intention of being an athlete

Does not want to compete

Does not want to get to any level of fitness

Has to work for a living

Has no choices.

Accidental athletes

A group of athlete's most similar to the accidental athletes are the ultra marathon athletes

Ultra marathon is very long distance competition where they have to run or walk as far as possible in a given time.

It can be over 6 hours-24 hours-48 hours-6 days-16 days or even around the world www.worldrun.org

The main similarity between them is that their muscles are always sore, stiff, and fatigued and the muscles are angry-this can interfere with their sleep because their muscles cannot cut off and stop moving.

They have to get up and get back on the track or road on a constant basis whether they want to or not to achieve their objective

The person with occupational aching legs also has to get up and go to work on a constant basis whether their legs have recovered or not.

The long term effects on both groups is also similar

www.hazards.org/standing


Problems caused by calf muscle pump inefficiency include

• Varicose veins

• Poor circulation

• Lymph system inactivity

• Venous return reduced

• Constant sitting-the calf muscles are not being used at all so they do not pump fluid up the legs

• Standing in one place-the muscles do not move and provide power to the calf muscle pump

To work efficiently, the calf muscles must be working properly

The Calf Muscle Pump

The Calf Muscle Pump

To keep the circulation in balance in the legs and reduce muscle fatigue, the same volume of blood should come out of the legs as goes into them.

The the arteries veins take blood away from the heart to the rest of the body and the veins which have one-way valves in them take it back to the body again; the way used blood gets back up the legs so that it can be replaced by fresh blood is by a special system called

The Calf Muscle Pump
The calf muscle pump forces used blood against gravity up the legs back to the body for recycling by alternately putting pressure on the venous system and releasing it

As the muscles sqeeze, they open the valves, letting blood pass through them; when the tension is released, they close stopping the blood flowing back down towards the feet.

Oxygen depleted blood is progressively moved from the lower legs back up to the body where it is re-nourished with oxygen and nutrients and sent back out again to various parts of the body through the arteries.

The muscle pump is made up of all the leg muscles and together they form a pump which forces used blood against gravity up the legs back to the body for recycling.

No matter how much you take care of the feet, it still cannot take care of the aching legs after the day's work and the legs have developed that aching throbbing feeling; it is because the legs are filling up with fluid.

Swollen ankles (edema) fluid build up from standing

Other than medical reasons which should have been checked out and have been or is being dealt with what can cause aching fatigued legs?

Gravity and the weight of blood in the body

Water is subject to pressure-the deeper it is the more pressure there is at the bottom; on the surface the swimmer feels none, but the deeper he goes the more it affects his body as the pressure increases.

Blood in the body is similar, at the head, the pressure is almost non-existent, but at the feet the lowest part of the body the pressure is higher.

The term for this is Hydrostatic pressure (Hydro-water Static-standing still) and is measured in mm hg.

Head -10 mm hg

Feet +90 mm hg

In a standing person, pressure in the veins is low at the top of the head and high at the bottom; the pressure and weight that is placed on the veins in the legs is very high; the only thing preventing all the fluid running out of the feet is the ends of the toes!

When it just sits and stagnates, there is no fresh blood going to the leg muscles so they fatigue and feel heavy; water starts to separate from the used blood into the tissues and as it can't be pumped up the legs back to the body fast enough the ankles swell.

The average working day is 8 hours; this is broken by time out for lunch and toilet stops; the rest of the time may be spent standing in one place and slow walking on flat floors this can mean aching feet and worse over the long term.

Walking long distances over small areas-does not give leg muscles the opportunity to apply contraction and relaxation to the veins.

As the day wears on the legs are moving very little so the used blood in the lower legs and feet is not being pumped back to the body for refreshing and re-circulating.

• Tight stiff sore calf muscles put constant tension on the venous and lymphatic systems.

• They are not working the pump properly so it cannot push fluid against gravity up the legs

• Gravity holds blood and fluid in the lowest part of the body

The way used blood gets back up the legs to the body so that it can be replaced by fresh blood and revive the leg muscles is by a special system called the calf muscle pump-when it is working


First aid needed for fatigued leg muscles

The faster the legs receive help during or after a long day, the faster they recover but it is important they get it as soon as possible before soreness and stiffness limits what can be done with them.

There are ways to give the legs first aid

It can be passive; this means letting the legs have their own way and letting them fix themselves up

Lie down with the legs elevated (anything interesting on the television?)

Lying down with the feet up so the legs can drain of fluid may not be an option because as it relies on reversing gravity; it needs time to wait for this to happen.

Go and drown your sorrows in a bar (it may cover the pain)

This method is too ‘passive’ and obviously not too efficient as there are so many lost days off work still through industrially caused diseases.

Active recovery for aching legs
Active Recovery means taking a pro-active role in helping the calf muscles to work the pump at moving the fluid up the legs.

This is where the legs are helped to recover using a system that is directed at increasing the circulation so that fresh blood can flood the muscle tissues

The secret to a faster recovery is to reduce input/output required through-

• Simplicity

• Non invasive

• Predictability

• Consistency-conditions the muscles by repetition.

This is applied through

The latest in non-technical, non-invasive 'cutting edge' solutions to fatigued aching legs relief-the World Run Recovery System

The advantages of using the World Run Recovery System

Do It Yourself recovery

• No disrobing

• Works with the muscles not on them

• No oil used

• Non invasive

• User friendly

• Easy to learn

The World Run Recovery System-A tested Trusted Alternative

Some References

Michael’s methods of massage and blister care helped me to stay mobile throughout the race and to recover quickly afterwards. His techniques are safe and gentle.

Unlike some treatments, which put the runners and walkers at risk of muscle tears or infection, Michael’s techniques are gentle, safe, reassuring, and highly effective. They enhance comfort and flexibility, build confidence, and promote success.

This booklet will help others to learn and practice Michael’s methods. It is recommended reading for everyone who walks and runs and who wants to go further, go faster, or just to enjoy life more!!'

SANDRA BROWN 1996 Ladies 1000 Mile World Record Holder

1999 Ladies 100 mile Race walking World Record Holder
“I know that your massage kept a number of competitor<>s in the event. The cold weather of Saturday afternoon and night certainly got to many of the walkers and your prompt action had them back in the race after a short stop.

In years past, that would have ended up as a non-finish. A number of walkers were able to keep going for the full 24 hours on the basis of your expert help.”

Tim Ericson Secretary Australian Centurions Club

'I have known Michael Gillan for many years and have always got quick relief for my aches and pains from the stretching he performs'.
CLIFF YOUNG-75-80 24 Hour World Record Holder (150.07 kilometers)

A word from Jesper Olsen World Runner about Light Manual Muscle Relaxation

“If I hadn't had the qualified help from the excellent masseur Michael Gillan, taking several thousands of km out of my legs, I could spare myself the effort!”

“My crew for the current stages, Michael Gillan, has proven to have other talents than the quite taxing job of taking care of all the requirements of a really tired ultra runner!
He has since years back been working on a new approach to stretching and muscle-rebuilding for ultra runners. I have the last two days tried his careful stretch and massage, and a bit to my surprise the muscles are beginning to feel like before the start back in Greenwich, London!!

Usually I doesn’t take massage as the legs of an ultra runner will often be quite sore during the long time events (and especially in an multi-year event like this...), and getting a massage can at times cause more injury and cramping up than good. For example my last massage was some 12 000km ago when I ran the 12-hour competition in Finland. And so far that has been the only one.

But Gillan came with best recommendations from my main contact in Australia, Phil Essam, who besides being vice president in the Australian Ultra runners Association has heaps of good knowledge to share. And this new kind of mild massage for ultra runners is definitely one of the good tips! There should be a fair chance that I actually get fresh enough to do some decent running at the 6 Day Race that I have coming up in Colac from the 21.November. I quite look forward to that, even though I can’t expect to make a top class result :-)”

He won! 756.2 kilometers (Jesper holds the record for the longest run in history over 26000 kilometers and the first person to run around the world Taken from www.worldrun.org


Win! Win!
It is very difficult for the 'Accidental Athlete' to win any races as they are competing with themselves on a daily basis, but in this situation everyone wins.

With your support I get to on the World Run and the 'Accidental Athlete' gets the very same recovery system I will be using on World Run 2!

www.worldrun.org

There are not enough funds to cover my time on the road so I am making my many years of knowledge available for the princely sum of $20 a manual.

This will go towards defraying my costs of being involved in the world run project, and at the same time let the marathon runner share the experience of a recovery similar to that of the world runners at a very affordable price without coming with us to get my skills!

Restless Leg Syndrome or Angry muscles?
Is your occupation wrecking your sleep?

In Australia it is very difficult to get sponsors unless you already have a big name as a star-

For support crew who do cannot supply glamor it is impossible.

*Many people diagnose themselves as having restless legs which is a sleep disorder and its origins may be medical; there are treatments for these so it recommended that a visit to a physician to get it identified would be the first course of action.

ANGRY muscles are giving a reaction to overuse by standing or walking on a consistent basis-they do not have chance to recover properly before repeating the same action over and over.

When the time comes for sleep, they throb and ache and the brain cannot switch the muscle nerves off so they keep wanting to move.

This is possible to see in ultra marathon athletes when they have been going around a track for 18-20 hours-on resting the legs just keep moving and the nerve actions can be seen rippling up the calf muscles.

It is the World Run Recovery System that calms them down

Contact mgillan@hotmail.com

Check out our manuals-is your occupation there?

If not let us know and we will do one for you

If you are an industry looking for some occupational leg relief we will negotiate a license with you for manuals for your workers


Copyright 2007 aching-legs.org