Dear all,
CONTEXT: I am 170cm tall and weigh around 64kg. I am training 5-6 days a week at the moment (started about a month ago): I do spinning/cycling class 3 times a week and Les Mills' Body Attack twice a week. If I understood correctly, both are high-intensity trainings, but I assume that only Body Attack is especially hard on knees and ankles (because it involves a lot of jumping etc).
PROBLEM: I have been recently experiencing ankle pain (both legs; persistent, but worse during training; depending on how I move, it feels like a combination of bone and tendon problems). Considering that I do weigh a bit more than I should for height, I assume this is related to a combination of weight and choice of cardio workouts. I have had this before, and when I work out only 2 times a week, I don't have any problems. But I love program of the past month and I do want to keep up a high frequency of workouts. I have already started to use a type of fixating, tight socks, but find that they don't help much...I have also bought new fitness shoes, and I've been told the model was great for indoor aerobics.
QUESTION: Is there a way to solve this problem? How do you suggest I should adjust classes (Should I take a break? Do I have to give up Body Attack? Should I just decrease the frequency of training?). Any other ideas?
Thank you in advance for your help/suggestions!
Best,
J.
ankle pain from cardio training?
Moderators: Boss Man, cassiegose
Re: ankle pain from cardio training?
It might possibly be shin splints. If you're using running or fighting movements, where you heel strike on landing that might do it, in which case modifiy technique.
It could be over-exertion leading to plantar Fasciitis, which can be atrributed to things like a tight achillies and weight problems and I believe that can be cause heel spurs, which are caused by calcium deposits that develop on the heel, in the area of the Calcaneous bone which is the heel bone.
Plantar fasciitis is basically an inflammation of the plantar, which is a strip of tissue extending roughly from the heel of the foot to the ball.
If this is the case, you may need to rest a bit and then consider cutting back some of the exercise to some extent.
However you may have at some point flared up a slight niggle or aggrevated something like a bit of muscle or connective tissue, in which case you may have to rest up completely for about a week and consider altering your regime, or consider if it was related to something you were doing with slightly incorrect technique and then work to correct said technique.
The other possibility is consult a physician, in case it's something I have not suggested. I am not diagnosing you, merely offering up possibilities.
It could be over-exertion leading to plantar Fasciitis, which can be atrributed to things like a tight achillies and weight problems and I believe that can be cause heel spurs, which are caused by calcium deposits that develop on the heel, in the area of the Calcaneous bone which is the heel bone.
Plantar fasciitis is basically an inflammation of the plantar, which is a strip of tissue extending roughly from the heel of the foot to the ball.
If this is the case, you may need to rest a bit and then consider cutting back some of the exercise to some extent.
However you may have at some point flared up a slight niggle or aggrevated something like a bit of muscle or connective tissue, in which case you may have to rest up completely for about a week and consider altering your regime, or consider if it was related to something you were doing with slightly incorrect technique and then work to correct said technique.
The other possibility is consult a physician, in case it's something I have not suggested. I am not diagnosing you, merely offering up possibilities.
Re: ankle pain from cardio training?
Thank you for all this useful information! Got some googling to do with all those terms 
But I guess it is indeed important to actually properly diagnose the pain to know how to treat it!
I will certainly take a break for a week and then start again, but maybe with only once a week Body Attack and 4 times spinning. The thing with Body Attack is that, it consists of a lot of running and jumping (a lot of lateral movement, like jumping jacks, skiers move etc.). This is why, I have now read, that a lot of people and even instructors experience this type of pain. Apparently, if one doesn't overdo it, after a while one's body will adjust to the training moves and will get stronger and, only then, intensity can be increased.
Here are some additional advice I've come across during internet search. Maybe it will be of help to other people too.
1. Decrease frequency of training or even take a break, as suggested by Boss Man.
2. The level of effort put into those moves can differ. And although it would be great to always give 100%, I think, when experiencing pain, it is better to hold back a bit and be less powerful/explosive when performing certain moves.
3. Grounding the heels during, for example, jumping jacks! I need to work on that! Boss Man also mentions that incorrect technique can be a big problem (in case, however, this was not 'heel strike' but rather 'forefoot landing').
4. Stabilizing ankles before training with either those special type of tight soks and/or by taping/strapping the ankle(s) - Youtube has a lot of video tutorials on that.
5. Shoes are important, but it seems to be an individual issue and a trial-and-error thing finding the right ones
Some people have recommended the so-called cross-trainers, apparently they offer lateral stability (but no arch support and this seems to cause plantar fasciitis if used excessiveley). Shoes with very thick soles and running shoes are apparently not indicated. Maybe high-top shoes could be good for some people. The shoe issue seems to be complicated
6. Stretching before and after training, particularily the ankle/achilles region!
But I guess it is indeed important to actually properly diagnose the pain to know how to treat it!I will certainly take a break for a week and then start again, but maybe with only once a week Body Attack and 4 times spinning. The thing with Body Attack is that, it consists of a lot of running and jumping (a lot of lateral movement, like jumping jacks, skiers move etc.). This is why, I have now read, that a lot of people and even instructors experience this type of pain. Apparently, if one doesn't overdo it, after a while one's body will adjust to the training moves and will get stronger and, only then, intensity can be increased.
Here are some additional advice I've come across during internet search. Maybe it will be of help to other people too.
1. Decrease frequency of training or even take a break, as suggested by Boss Man.
2. The level of effort put into those moves can differ. And although it would be great to always give 100%, I think, when experiencing pain, it is better to hold back a bit and be less powerful/explosive when performing certain moves.
3. Grounding the heels during, for example, jumping jacks! I need to work on that! Boss Man also mentions that incorrect technique can be a big problem (in case, however, this was not 'heel strike' but rather 'forefoot landing').
4. Stabilizing ankles before training with either those special type of tight soks and/or by taping/strapping the ankle(s) - Youtube has a lot of video tutorials on that.
5. Shoes are important, but it seems to be an individual issue and a trial-and-error thing finding the right ones
Some people have recommended the so-called cross-trainers, apparently they offer lateral stability (but no arch support and this seems to cause plantar fasciitis if used excessiveley). Shoes with very thick soles and running shoes are apparently not indicated. Maybe high-top shoes could be good for some people. The shoe issue seems to be complicated 6. Stretching before and after training, particularily the ankle/achilles region!