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Dealing with One-Sided Aches While Running? Here’s Why

Dealing with One-Sided Aches While Running? Here’s Why

by Yaryna Shved
19 May, 2025
in Running insights and tips

Do you consistently feel tightness or pain on just one side of your body – like a sore right calf, stiff left hip, or nagging pain in one knee or side of the lower back? While stretching and foam rolling can offer temporary relief, these discomforts often return if the underlying issue isn’t addressed.

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The real culprit may be postural or biomechanical imbalances – common but correctable habits that throw your body out of alignment. Here are several everyday causes and how to fix them with small, consistent changes:

Common Causes & How to Fix Them

CauseEffect on Your BodyCorrection Strategy
Using a mouse only with your right handCauses right shoulder tension and disrupts upper body rotation while running, leading to uneven leg loading.Train yourself to use the mouse with your left hand as well. It may feel awkward at first but gets easier within a few weeks.
Holding a phone or bottle in one hand while runningAlters upper body mechanics and loads more stress onto one leg.Either switch hands every mile or use a centered pouch on your waist or shorts.
Always sleeping on the same sideLeads to hip weakness and overstretching on one side, impairing glute and hip stabilizer function. This affects how your leg lands.Try training yourself to sleep on the opposite side – it’s challenging but doable.
Running in the same direction on a trackCreates repetitive oblique stress on the inside leg, leading to ankle/calf tightness or hip stiffness.Change directions often when on a track – or vary your routine by running off-track.
Running on a sloped (cambered) roadThe inner leg tightens while the outer leg becomes too mobile, creating imbalance through the back, hips, and legs.While this one is tricky due to safety concerns, reduce cambered road running whenever possible—even a 20% decrease can help.

Persistent, one-sided pain is often a sign of imbalance, not just muscle tightness. Identifying and adjusting small habits in your daily routine—like how you sleep, work, or run—can go a long way toward restoring balance and improving performance.

Let me know if you’d like a summarized version or adapted copy for a blog, social media post, or newsletter.

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