Why do your legs get thicker the more you exercise?

On summer nights, we like to go out and sit, walk, exercise, and enjoy the breeze. Sometimes it's because you want to kill some time or do some exercise, which is good for your health. Some people want to lose weight, so they do exercise, running almost every day, doing sit-ups, and other sports. But the result of exercise is that the more we exercise, the thicker our legs become. Why is this?

1. Poor landing technique leads to illusion. Some people run on tiptoe, which makes their calves tired and tight, and they feel like their calves are "growing". In fact, this is just an illusion. A person's basic shape is innate, and so is the shape of the legs. Your calves won't become noticeably thicker just by running a few times. In aerobic strength training, such as dumbbell exercises and barbell exercises, the muscle expansion rate will not exceed 20%.

Therefore, during daily running, even if your calves become thicker, it will not exceed this ratio, and this ratio is almost invisible.

2. Runners believe that running has burned fat, so they can eat more, which will lead to weight gain and thicker calves. It’s not about running itself.

What kind of exercise can make your calves thicker? Strength training may help. Weight-bearing, heel-raising exercises can help your calf muscles grow, such as men's bodybuilding. The muscles in the calves are more difficult to build up, so daily exercise generally will not cause the calves to become thicker.

So, how to eliminate this fear and prejudice?

1. Pay attention to your running posture. The correct running posture should be to transition from the heel to the forefoot.

2. Perform relaxation exercises after running. Stretch and relax your calves, rub them and stretch them.

3. Pay attention to running time and speed. The general aerobic exercise time is 20 to 60 minutes. Excessive exercise will cause muscle fatigue and joint wear. The speed should not be too fast, and the heart rate range of aerobic exercise should be controlled within: (220-age)×(60%-80%).

It seems that when we run, we must pay attention to the running method, otherwise we will become a little thicker if we are not careful. Also, if we like to run at night, it is best not to go out running alone, as this is a bit unsafe. Some time ago, a female teacher got into an accident while running at night. If you want to run, you can run in the morning or find someone to accompany you.