Atmospheric pressure-gravity-the calf muscle pump and aching legs Michael Gillan Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist
Atmospheric pressure-gravity-the calf muscle pump and Aching Legs Leg recovery using an environmentally friendly recovery system Atmospheric pressure is all around us and affects all we do and all we are-everyone is walking around with a column of air on our heads that weighs similarly to a small car but because of air in the body cavities the pressure is equalized and it does not crush us But a system in the body it has an effect on is the circulation-it pushes all the fluids in the body down towards the lowest part of the body, the feet where gravity stops it coming back up to the body for recycling and recirculation as fresh blood To stop the muscles fatiguing, fresh oxygen and nutrient filled blood has to keep being supplied to the muscles-but when the muscles are fatigued they can’t work at facilitating or supplying their own needs The calf muscles are the motors for a pump called the calf muscle pump that forces used blood against gravity through one-way valves in the veins back up the body When you are on your feet all day and the calf muscles start to fatigue, power stops being supplied to the pump and the blood just pools around the ankles-the water (or lymph fluid) separates from it and migrates into the tissues in and around the ankles As it is not being pumped away fast enough from the lower legs, the ankles swell and if it wasn’t for the ends of the toes it would all flow out of the body all over the ground
Recovery of leg fatigue Non-medically related aching legs, are caused by too much standing, sitting, walking, can be a health danger and while they can’t be fixed because they are usually an occupational related cause, and this is ongoing They may be relieved on a temporary basis but can’ be cured because like the ultra competitor the person with them has to get up and do the same thing on an ongoing daily basis www.hazards.org/standing www.worldrun.org Copyright 2008 Michael Gillan http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com
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Atmospheric pressure-gravity-the calf muscle pump and aching legs Michael Gillan Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist Ultra marathon runner and walkers are a group of athletes’ that suffer from similar problems to those with aching legs
These are 2 people who have just been running for 3 days around a running track in all weathers They suffer from sore feet, sore legs, swollen ankles, stiffness, wasted muscles, muscle cramps, tiredness, mental fatigue, restless legs, sore skin, night pains, muscle spasm, muscle wastage, swollen ankles, hyperthermia, hypothermia, temper tantrums, vomiting, food sensitivity, allergies, rashes, loss of judgement Aching legs fatigued muscles and recovery However the aching fatigued legs and muscles are developed whether you are a non-athlete working at a job that causes them on a daily basis or an athlete who runs around the world; or someone with poor leg circulation from any of these-everyone has the same thing in common and that is how to recover from these There are 2 main ways of relieving them of soreness-passive and active
This is the passive way-waiting for the legs to recover themselves Below is the pro-active result sheet from a 6 day event using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation Using an environmentally friendly pro-active leg recovery system is easier than you think when you learn how to use the muscles to work on them selves But an especially good way to recover from aching legs is to simply work the calf muscle pump by hand to break the cycle of inactivity caused through muscle fatigue and get rid of some of the depleted fluid so that fresh blood can enter the muscle tissues
Copyright 2008 Michael Gillan http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com
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Atmospheric pressure-gravity-the calf muscle pump and aching legs Michael Gillan Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist The secret to leg recovery The calf muscle pump The calf muscles act as the motor for a pump to take it from the feet back to the body against gravity through the venous system where it is re-nourished and recirculated-but to be working they have to move.
Look at the photo above-how many towels and bottles of oil do you see? None because the latest in non-polluting, non-technical method of leg recovery techniques is being used
The active way to help the legs recover is to learn how to work with the muscles If you can use your hands you have the tools to do the job of recovery
Recovery from leg fatigue or ongoing leg maintenance Light Manual Muscle Relaxation Copyright 2008 Michael Gillan http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com
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Atmospheric pressure-gravity-the calf muscle pump and aching legs Michael Gillan Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist
Here I am giving a demonstration of leg recovery in Denmark using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation More details and references on ultra marathon can be found on my websites Everyone needs recovery after a tough day-and the fact that to get it blood to the muscles in the legs needs refreshing But to get that old depleted blood in the lower legs needs pumping out of them so that new fresh blood can be pumped in-simple really
How much training and theory does it need to do this? Very little because it is not specific How did I discover Light Manual muscle Relaxation?
Because for my first 2 years in ultra marathon I used conventional recovery systems and they really did not work-nothing changed, nothing improved-it was not until I accidentally changed my approach from working on the muscles to working with them did things improve for both myself and the ultra entrants Below is a chart from when I discovered working with the muscles rather than on them shows how much things did improve for the runners and walkers If these figures are translated into recovery speed for the person with aching legs they would be very happy
Copyright 2008 Michael Gillan http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com
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Atmospheric pressure-gravity-the calf muscle pump and aching legs Michael Gillan Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist The difference in approach is illustrated below Results from 1995 Coburg 6 day footrace Name A Krouglikov
Day 1 237.2 539
Day 2 113.6 284
Day 3 130 325
Day 4 106 365
Day 5 126 315
Day 6 108 Kilometers 270 Laps
T Rusek
215.2 538
98.8 247
98 245
139.6 349
138.4 346
122.4 Kilometers 306 Laps
M T aylor
174.4 436
128.8 322
143.6 359
123.6 309
138.4 302
122.4 Kilometers 223 Laps
B Beauchamp
180.4 451
133.2 333
124 310
117.6 294
110 275
93.2 Kilometers 233 Laps
150 375
134 335
105.2 263
94.8 237
111.6 279
106 Kilometers 265 Laps
138.4 346
108.4 271
106.8 267
116.4 274
106 265
107.2 Kilometers 268 Laps
168 420
119.2 298
90 225
116.4 291
106 180
107.2 Kilometers 247 Laps
G Watts
132.2 328
96.4 241
99.2 248
104.4 261
92.8 232
133.6 Kilometers 334 Laps
C Young
142 355
91.2 228
90 225
97.6 244
88 220
92 Kilometers 230 Laps
D Kettle
138.2 332
86.8 217
90.8 227
95.2 238
94.4 236
84.4 Kilometers 212 Laps
R H ill
128 320
80.8 202
99.2 248
70 175
95.6 239
96.6 Kilometers 241 Laps
K Fisher
164 410
91.6 229
50 125
115.2 288
49.6 124
81.2 Kilometers 203 Laps
P Gray
D Parri s
I Davis
G Pollard
T Rafferty
61.2 Kilometers 120 74.8 73.6 68.4 69.6 300 187 184 171 174 153 Laps The above group came in for Light Manual Muscle Rel axation The below group did not or had their own recovery people 141.6 112.8 104.8 101.6 98 96.4 Kilometers 354 282 262 254 245 241 Laps
G McConnel
145.6 363
110.8 277
126.4 287
113.6 284
108.4 271
106 ki lometers 265 Laps
G Audley
152.8
110.8
126.4
113.6
114.8
95.2 ki lometers
S Scanlon
140.8 352
82 205
84 210
J Timms 127.2 98.4 Copyright 2008 Michael Gillan http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com
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74.8
34 0 85 pulled out-bli sters 0
0
0 Kilometers Laps 0 ki lometers
Atmospheric pressure-gravity-the calf muscle pump and aching legs Michael Gillan Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist
Quickly-easily and in an environmentally friendly way! If you want more details go to my website at
http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com
Aching legs should always be checked out by a medical professional before doing anything to and with them because there are many medical reasons why they may be aching-see a physician first
Copyright 2008 Michael Gillan http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com
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