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Legs cramps; how to prevent and treat them?
Mon 07 12 2020

If you work out frequently, you sure have experienced spasms and cramps on the way. Muscle spasms happen when the muscle fibers contract in an unexpected manner causing pain during or often exercising. Some people also experience spasms during their sleep. The parts that are affected the most by spasms are the thighs, feet and calves. So how do you prevent and treat leg cramps?

First of all, it is important to understand how these cramps happen. In fact, there is no clear evidence on what causes these cramps, however, they are said to be linked to the functioning of motor neurons. Also, some factors have been contributed to cramps such as heavy training and using heavy weights, lack of sleep and sometimes health problems such as diabetes or fluid and mineral imbalances. Factors like these trigger electrical impulses in the muscles leading to a painful reaction.

It is also associated with low levels of magnesium, which explains why a lot of people experience them during sleep (a time when magnesium levels drop in the body). Stretching is a helpful thing to do every day to try to reduce or prevent this pain.

4 things to do when you get a muscle cramp:

As mentioned before, there is no proved explanation on how cramps happen, however, there are few things you can do when you are feeling cramp pain. If you get a cramp when working out, take a short break and rest the area where you are feeling pain. The following are 4 things you can do to relief cramps pain:

1. Stay hydrated: drink lots of water and fluids to replace the electrolytes and water lost during a workout.

2. Stretch very often: stretching helps relieve the cramps caused by the training load. It is a good way to release tension and stop the pain.

3. Apply heat: heat is helpful to relax your muscles. Use a warm compress on the calves, or even take a warm bath to relax and avoid upcoming contractions.

4. Massage the area: to loosen your muscles, you need to stimulate the circulation. Massage the painful part for few minutes.

Preventing muscle cramps:

Follow these tips to prevent muscle cramps:

1. Take care of your muscles: relaxation exercises and stretching should be a crucial part of your training plan. Make sure you massage your legs more often or even get a massage by professionals.

2. Keep your diet balanced and include minerals: as we said, magnesium has been linked with cramps, and including this mineral in your diet has extra benefits for you. Eat whole-grain products, bananas and green vegetables to increase your intake. Calcium is also beneficial because it reinforces muscle contraction, so consume more spinach, dairy products and egg yolks.

3. If you experienced cramps, increase your workout intensity in gradual manners: make sure you slowly increase the intensity of your workout to give your body enough time to get used to the new level.

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