Have you or someone close to you been struggling with frequent muscle cramps, especially when you do a strenuous workout? Unfortunately, it is something that does occur from time to time. The good news is that you don’t have to put up with endless muscle cramps. In fact, there are a number of different things that you can do to treat muscle cramps that occur before they become too severe. Better yet, you can also take action to help prevent future muscle cramps, even when you’re exercising outside on the hottest of days.
Why Do Muscle Cramps Happen?
Before diving into the treatment and prevention for muscle cramps, it’s important to gain a better understanding of why they happen. There are some medical conditions that can cause muscle cramping. In addition, certain medications can also make you more likely to experience these cramps. This goes for certain over-the-counter medications as well as prescriptions. When you really get down to it, it comes down to the fact that you don’t have enough fluid in your body to prevent muscle cramps or you are straining a particular muscle too much. For most people, it’s easy to get dehydrated while exercising. This is especially true for those who exercise outdoors in hot weather. If you’re not drinking enough water, muscle cramps are more likely to occur. They are even more likely to happen if you’re losing electrolytes that you’re not replacing. As previously mentioned, they can also occur as a direct result of straining a particular muscle or group of muscles too much. Once the muscle in question becomes fatigued, it may start to cramp up. The question is, what are you supposed to do about it when this happens?
Treating Muscle Cramps
If you’re treating muscle cramps that have occurred as a direct result of becoming dehydrated, the easiest way to treat them is to replenish the water and electrolytes that you’ve lost. Of course, that’s not the only thing you can do to treat cramps. The other techniques work for cramps that happen because dehydration and as the direct result of overuse. If possible, relax that muscle as much as you can. For example, you would want to get off of a leg that is cramping. Do your best to stretch it out as far as possible, taking caution not to force the stretch too far or to stretch too quickly. Try massaging the muscle at the same time that you’re stretching it. This can help to alleviate the cramping. In some cases, it may resolve it completely.
If you’re experiencing a severe cramp, stretching and massaging may not completely alleviate the pain, at least not at first. That said, you can go a long way toward making the pain more bearable. You might also try applying a muscle rub or ointment to the affected area. If the pain persists or you experience a great deal of soreness as a result of the cramping, try taking an over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen.
Preventing Muscle Cramps
The easiest way to avoid the pain and stiffness that comes with severe cramping is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Again, much of it comes down to making sure that you drink plenty of water and remain hydrated throughout any activity that you’re involved in. The more you exercise, the more water you should be drinking. The same is true for anyone who is outdoors when it’s hot and humid. If you’re waiting until you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. It can be hard to drink enough water to prevent dehydration, especially when you’re in the midst of a strenuous workout. That said, you’ll likely be surprised at how much better your exercise routine goes when you start drinking enough water. If the routine is strenuous enough to make you sweat profusely, it’s a good idea to replenish lost electrolytes by drinking water that contains electrolytes every few days. You don’t need to drink a lot of this water on a daily basis, but it is a good idea to do so from time to time. Conversely, you should steer clear of sports drinks, as they contain a lot of sugar.
Another thing that you can do to prevent muscle cramps is stretch. By stretching both before and after your workout, you’re helping your muscles adapt to the stress that is involved with the strenuous exercise routine. Failing to stretch before you exercise or skipping the stretching routine after the fact can cause soreness, stiff muscles and an increase in muscle cramps. It can also make any cramps you might have more severe.
Make sure that you are replenishing your body with protein after you complete the workout. This is crucial because your body uses that protein to rebuild muscle. Without it, you’re essentially starving your body of the nutrients it needs to heal and restore itself for the rest of the day. This can potentially cause muscles to cramp because they’re not getting the nutrients that they crave. You can incorporate protein into your diet in a number of ways, such as by eating lean meat or drinking healthy protein shakes that are low in sugar.
Last but not least, it’s a good idea to examine your diet. If you’re eating a lot of processed foods that are high in sodium, you’re far more likely to experience muscle cramps. The same is true if you have a bad habit of eating a lot of junk food. While it may not make sense to eat junk food and then go exercise, it is something that people sometimes do. Some people struggle with the idea of going to the gym. Others struggle with the idea of not eating their favorite foods, even if those foods aren’t exactly the healthiest things in the world. Incorporating lean meats with plenty of vegetables is a good idea to help reduce muscle cramps. As previously mentioned, it’s important to limit the amount of salt that you ingest.
If you follow these guidelines, you’re less likely to experience cramps. Although everyone has them from time to time, you now know how to prevent the majority of them and how to treat the ones that do occur.
