Have you ever been woken up by a severe cramp in your calf, or it's come on when you're stretching in the morning? What causes this? and what can we do about it?
Common causes
- Tightness after exercise the day before
- Dehydration
- Stretching as soon as you wake up
- Lack of potassium
Remedies
- Make sure to stretch after exercising. Muscles get leaner and stronger in the repair of the muscle fibres - so give them the best chance of getting stronger without injury by stretching after exercise.
- Keep hydrated throughout the day. Keep a water bottle with you at all times, especially at work. Government guidelines suggest that we should consume 6-8 glasses of water every day, so get drinking!
- If you must stretch, dorsiflex at the the ankles. Stretches where you raise your toes instead of lowering them will be best for avoiding calf cramps. Excessive plantarflexion of the foot in the morning just constricts your calf muscles. So, bring your toes towards you instead of pointing them.
- Eat a banana every day. They're a great source of potassium. Avocados, apricots and fish are some alternatives for you to try and get in regularly.
Happy stretching and eating!
No comments:
Post a Comment