# Taichi makes my feet, ankles and calves hurt.



## Ironbear24 (Feb 5, 2016)

I think it has to do with slow footwork and deep stances. Anyone else experience this?


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## mograph (Feb 5, 2016)

Hmm ... what led you to attribute this pain to tai chi?


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## Tez3 (Feb 5, 2016)

mograph said:


> Hmm ... what led you to attribute this pain to tai chi?



Nothing hurt until he did Tai Chi?


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## mograph (Feb 5, 2016)

Tez3 said:


> Nothing hurt until he did Tai Chi?


Damn your logic!


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## Tez3 (Feb 5, 2016)

mograph said:


> Damn your logic!



LOL, I'm keeping an eye on this thread, it's a year since my husband's heart attack, he's fine now but retired and needs to do some form of exercise so I've decided Tai Chi will be it! Just don't want to make him ache too much though.


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## mograph (Feb 5, 2016)

Tez3 said:


> ... so I've decided Tai Chi will be it! Just don't want to make him ache too much though.


Just trying to isolate the cause.

Caveat: I'm not a doctor.

When did the pain start? Before or after you started tai chi, or as soon as you started it?
Do you feel the pain outside of class?
When don't you feel the pain?
Do you feel it when standing?
Is there swelling?
Do you stretch outside of class?

Tai Chi wouldn't cause this kind of pain any more than standing or walking would unless you're bending your feet/ankles in an unnatural way. If anything, doing tai chi badly would cause _knee_ pain, not calf/ankle/foot pain.


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## Ironbear24 (Feb 5, 2016)

mograph said:


> Just trying to isolate the cause.
> 
> Caveat: I'm not a doctor.
> 
> ...



Well I walk home after class too.


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## mograph (Feb 5, 2016)

Ironbear24 said:


> I think it has to do with slow footwork and deep stances. Anyone else experience this?


No.


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## JowGaWolf (Feb 5, 2016)

Adjust your stance, don't go down so low, make sure the weight on your feet isn't too far forward.  Pay attention to how your weight is shifting and make corrections if necessary while you are moving slowly.


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## JowGaWolf (Feb 5, 2016)

Forgot to mention that any muscle soreness is because Tai Chi works the muscles differently.  It'll work muscles that you normally would use in short bursts, so you may discover muscles that you never knew where there.


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## Elbowgrease (Feb 6, 2016)

Everyday is leg day in tai chi chuan! Listen to your body. Think about how you're using your feet, ankles, legs. Figure out why they hurt and fix it. And watch your knees! If you start by fixing your feet its perfect. That's exactly where you start. If all movement in tai chi chuan comes from the foot, then start at the foot and pull yourself into alignment. If you start with your feet, you probably won't hurt your knees. My opinion.


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## greytowhite (Feb 6, 2016)

Use the relaxation exercises your teacher gives you thoroughly before going to class. Many styles have their own version.

Zheng Manqing - Huang's lineage






Various Yang lineages represented






Wudang lineage


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## ChenAn (Feb 8, 2016)

Ironbear24 said:


> I think it has to do with slow footwork and deep stances. Anyone else experience this?



Yes I have seen this happened due to incorrect knee aliment and weight distribution


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## greytowhite (Feb 9, 2016)

Also traditional stretching and massage help.


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