Cramps, side stitches, side
aches. Whatever you call them, they’re painful and distracting during a run.
While there aren’t any proven causes of side aches, there are a number of
things you can do before your run in order to reduce the likelihood of making
grimacing faces whilst you run along your local trails and neighborhood
streets.
According to the Running and Jogging section of About.com, there are three ways to avoid those pesky pains
beneath your ribcage in a run.
- Avoid eating one hour before your workout. Additonally, avoid sugary drinks and consume a good amount of water prior to your run.
- Stick to a a consistent breathing pattern. The best and deepest of breaths come from your diaphragm, not your chest. Focus on inhaling from your belly.
- Warm up. Warm up. Warm up. Even with some basic, preliminary stretches, preparing your body for cardio is much better than going out cold into a workout, no matter the distance or intensity.
In an article from Susan
Paul at Runner’s World, she gives a
simple process on how to treat a side ache without ever having to stop.
She says to take your
pointer and middle fingers and apply pressure beneath the rib where you are
experiencing pain. Apply pressure inward and upward with your fingers, and take
deep breaths for about 10 seconds. This technique has been said to minimize or
rid of side aches altogether.
While it’s not unordinary
for runners to come upon some physical and mental hurdles, the finish line
might not seem so unreachable without the distraction of side aches.
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