Tight shoulders

ronnie085

During my long run today my shoulders got really tight and painful. This problem started in the last month on longish runs. I try not to tense up my arms while running. I think it might be a problem with my running form but it also could be a lack of upper body strength. Anybody with any suggestions of how to combat this, stretches, weights, drills?????? or nice massage

Krusty_Clown

ronnie085 wrote: »

During my long run today my shoulders got really tight and painful. This problem started in the last month on longish runs. I try not to tense up my arms while running. I think it might be a problem with my running form but it also could be a lack of upper body strength. Anybody with any suggestions of how to combat this, stretches, weights, drills?????? or nice massage

I get this sometimes too, particularly during marathons. What works for me is to stretch and swing the arms at every mile marker (or mile on the Garmin). In my case I think it's down to tension and the stretching helps relieve it.

mloc123

Relax your hands. Are you clenching them at the moment?

ronnie085

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

I get this sometimes too, particularly during marathons. What works for me is to stretch and swing the arms at every mile marker (or mile on the Garmin). In my case I think it's down to tension and the stretching helps relieve it.

Yeah was swinging my arms like a lunatic for a few miles today and it loosened them up for a while, its just more annoying than anything, esp as it only happening lately.

ronnie085

mloc123 wrote: »

Relax your hands. Are you clenching them at the moment?

I try to keep them open and relaxed and try not to force my arms to swing, maybe I'm thinking about it to much causing things to tighten up. I am also doing big miles, well for me, at the moment, while I'm having no problems with my legs could it be affecting arms, shoulders etc.?

Krusty_Clown

mloc123 wrote: »

Relax your hands. Are you clenching them at the moment?

I was clenching mu butt-cheeks, but to no avail. Grumble, grumble. Illegal quick throw-in.

donothoponpop

ronnie085 wrote: »

During my long run today my shoulders got really tight and painful. This problem started in the last month on longish runs. I try not to tense up my arms while running. I think it might be a problem with my running form but it also could be a lack of upper body strength. Anybody with any suggestions of how to combat this, stretches, weights, drills?????? or nice massage

If you want to relax the shoulders, neck, muscles when running, try gently rubbing your thumb and forefinger as you run. Great for releasing tension and relaxing.

RacoonQueen

My shoulders are very tight, down to a mixture of running and the nature of my job I think. Doing some exercises to try combat it at the moment. Upper body work is something long distance runners are terrible for neglecting. Work I'm doing, the main thing is just to get the shoulders back to their natural position, I've to roll them back and it should help loosen them up and loosen your arm swing a bit.

I don't swing much at all and my hands tend to be open and relaxed, I have been told to make fists as opposed to leaving them opened out, not entirely sure what difference that actually makes though...

osnola ibax

I suffer with tension between the shoulder blades and it can get really painful. Try various stretching exercises before you head out on the run and when you return. Google them for the upper back. One that works really well for me is:

Stand in a doorway or up to one foot from a doorway, put your hands on either side of the door frame at shoulder height and push your chest through the open door until you can feel the stretch across the upper back. I also only sleep with one pillow and this has helped aswell. There are plenty of other exercises you can do. I also swing the arms when training, not sure how this would work out in a race, could start a row.

ronnie085

Thanks all, looks like more stretching, plus got a 100 press up app for phone for motovation for some upper body work, am useless at doing both, so lazy. May start a dealing with pikey poo thread for krustys clenching technique :-)