Are your muscles cramping? Nothing’s more troublesome than getting cramps in the middle of a workout, marathon, or swim. However, your muscles cramping doesn’t mean it’s the end of your fitness journey. In fact, there are plenty of ways to avoid getting cramps. Here are some tips and tricks on what you can do when your muscles are cramping.
What Can You Do to Prevent Muscles Cramping Up
1. Stay Hydrated
If you suddenly find your muscles cramping, take a moment to assess whether you’re drinking enough water during your training. Dehydration may lead to a series of irritations and injuries such as muscle cramps. The fluid outside certain cells of our body decreases when we fail to drink a sufficient amount of water. This causes the nerve endings to spontaneously discharge –which then leads to a muscle twitch. While drinking water isn’t a quick fix for muscles cramping, it’s definitely a long-term solution to prevent it from happening again.
2. Stretching Before Working Out
Stretching before you work out is a solid way to prevent cramps. Many gym-goers who neglect doing warm-ups often find their muscles cramping in the middle of their workout. To ensure that you have a safe, and cramp-free workout, make sure to do your obligatory stretches.
3. Pyramid Training
Similar to stretching before you work out, it’s important that you condition your body before hitting the big weights to avoid muscles cramping. Pyramid training is a great way to warm up and exercise at the same time. The concept of pyramid training is to start with light volume at high reps, and then gradually increase your volume while decreasing your reps at the same time. When you do this, your body will be conditioned, flexible, and at its peak performance so you won’t have to worry about your muscles cramping.
4. Rest and Recovery
If you’re fatigued, you may see your muscles cramping later on. With proper diet and exercise come adequate rest and recovery time. Forcing yourself to work out, when you physically can’t, will only be counterproductive for your fitness journey.
5. Sports Drinks
Depending on the intensity of your workout, you may need to consume sports drinks to maintain electrolyte balance. If you’re exercising under hot and humid conditions, then you might sweat more than usual. This loss of water is what may lead to muscle cramps. As such, you can consume sports drinks in addition to water for optimum hydration.
6. Nutrition
If you eat the right food, you won’t have to deal with your muscles cramping later on. Stock up on foods that are rich in vitamins, magnesium, and calcium. These include almonds, spinach, black beans, quinoa, peanuts, and cashews.
7. Know Your Limits
While hard work is important, it’s equally vital to know how much your body can actually handle. Abusing your body may lead to injuries much more serious than your muscles cramping. Don’t force yourself to do something you cannot do right now. If your PR is at 150 pounds, don’t immediately try to lift 300 pounds the very next day. Remember, there are no shortcuts to success. You have to work hard to achieve your goal.
Muscles cramping is often caused by improper form and exercise positions. Learn more about which exercises are proper and not proper by watching this video by V Shred:
Muscles cramping are just a minor injury. However, they may be a sign of improper nutrition, hydration, or exercise positions. As such, you shouldn’t shrug off the pain when your muscles are cramping. Make sure to determine the cause and remedy it immediately.
Did reading this article give you a better idea of how to remedy muscles cramping? Feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comments section below this page. We would love to hear from you!
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