Avoid Leg Cramps
The pain strikes without warning, often as you sleep. Nothing will get your attention quicker than a leg cramp. If you are prone to leg cramps there are some relatively easy adjustments you can make that will likely lessen the frequency.
Instructions
1. Know that leg cramps happen when certain muscles contract suddenly. The resulting pain is immediate and can be quite intense. Fortunately, most leg cramps last only seconds or a couple of minutes. Some can last longer but that is not as common. Leg cramps can often occur at night, causing a disruption in sleep. Sometimes simple changes in your water intake, weight loss or exercise adjustments can reduce the occurrences of leg cramps.
2. Remember that when the body is not properly hydrated, leg cramps are more apt to occur. A simple increase in water every day could reduce the severity and/or number of cramps you're having. If you most often experience leg cramps at night, try drinking a glass of water an hour before you go to bed. It is also extremely important that you keep your body hydrated during exercise. Drink water several times during your exercise routine. While hydrating before and after exercise is good, hydrating during your routine is even better. You could find better results if you reduce the water you take in before and after exercise and spread it out over the entire course of working out, having four or five water breaks from beginning to end instead of two and continuing to intermittently hydrate for a couple of hours after finishing.
3. Know that your leg cramps could be due to changes in your exercise program. If you've added new exercises that focus on leg muscles or if you've increased the number of repetitions in leg exercises, that could be putting an added strain on the muscles that cause them to constrict later. Also, you might want to get a trainer's advice on properly exercise leg muscles just to make sure the manner in which you're doing leg exercises is correct.
4. Be aware that if you've just begun a new exercise program, pay careful attention to stretching and not going for too much too fast. Never neglect the important step of any exercise program, which is thoroughly stretching the muscles. Doing so can cause far greater injury than leg cramps. Equally important is not too get overly enthusiastic too fast. Gradually build on your exercise routine. To use an old saying, Rome wasn't built in a day. Don't try to go full throttle with exercising. Exercise progress should be steady and gradual and should always begin with thorough stretching.
5. Make sure you have good athletic shoes that give you full support if you are running or walking for exercise. If you wear heels every day or if you tend to wear a variety of styles over the course of a week, this could be contributing to your leg cramps. Try to wear shoes that have have excellent support and do not put too much strain on any particular part of your legs, back or feet.
6. Know that cramps can be the result of a lack of potassium. You can increase potassium in your diet through potassium-rich foods such as bananas or apple cider vinegar (mix 2 tsp with a glass of warm water) or by taking a potassium supplement. You should check with your physician first. He may want to do blood work to determine your electrolyte and potassium levels.
7. Consider taking a very warm shower before bedtime to help relax your muscles. Try to avoid excessive standing, use of stairs or exercise the last couple of hours before bed. For immediate relief, gently rub the muscle. If this doesn't work, carefully stretch the muscle or try standing up. Once the pain has subsided, apply a warm compress to the area or take a hot shower. If your cramps are intense and very frequent, consult your physician about possible muscle relaxing medications.
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