Factors that contribute to Muscle Cramps
I know those of you that have had a muscle cramp or spasm may be fearful of it reoccurring. So I know what to explore some of the contributing factors to muscle cramps. The aim of this is by minimising the contributing factors you will reduce the likely hood of getting muscle cramps.
Dehydration
Muscle cramps commonly coincide with dehydration. So good hydration before, during and after exercise is important, especially if the exercise exceeds one hour. So how much should you drink? Hydration guidelines are personal but the goal is to prevent excessive weight loss i.e. >2% of body weight. You can weigh yourself before and after exercise to see how much fluid you have lost through sweat. One litre of water weight 2.25 pounds. Depending upon on the amount of exercise, temperature, humidity, body weight and other factors you can loose anywhere from 0.4 to 1.8 litres per hour. A good rule of thumb is to always drink enough fluids so that your urine is clear, pale yellow & copious.
Electrolytes
Sodium & potassium are the major components of sweat. So anyone who exercises hard for more than four hours in heat such as marathon runners, triathletes, tennis players etc should replace the lost electrolytes. While a lack of sodium and potassium may contribute to muscle cramps, it should be noted that a potassium deficiency is unlikely as your body contains more potassium than even a marathon runner might lose during a hot, sweaty race. However you can rule out this as an issue by eating potassium rich foods such as bananas and oranges on a daily basis. Replacing the sodium lost during sweaty exercise is vital and this can be done by having an endurance sport drink or a salty snack.
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Elbow Joint Mobility & Strength Exercises
Following on from my last article on elbow pain, I wanted to share with you some exercises for increasing the mobility and strength of your elbow joint.
- Stand or lie down. Bend and straighten your elbow to its outer limits without creating pain. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
- Sit with your forearm flat on a table and the palm of your hand against the table top. Then turn your forearm so that the back of your hand is resting on the table and then turn your forearm again so the palm of your hand is against the table. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
- Practice screwing and unscrewing a screw with a screwdriver, while holding your upper arm close to your body. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
- Hold a dumb-bell in your hand (or a can from your kitchen cupboard) and then bend and straighten the elbow joint. Repeat 5 to 10 times. You can gradually increase the weight to build strength.
- Stand up and do press ups against a wall. Ensure that you bend your elbow to the maximum and fully straighten your arms. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
- Hold a barbell in your hands (or a mop handle or broom handle), bend and straighten your elbow joint. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
- Flex one elbow joint to 90 degrees, then with your other hand resist your bent arm trying to touch your shoulder for 4 - 7 seconds and relax for 2 seconds.
- Straighten your arm backwards and take hold of a banister or something similar with your outstretched hand and stretch for 6-8 seconds by bending your knees.
Why do muscles get stiff and painful?
Muscle fibers are designed to tense and relax and go through a natural tense/relax cycle as you use your body. A muscle under sustained tension without a corresponding relaxation phase becomes stiff and eventually spams causing pain. There are three reasons why muscles don’t relax:
- Overuse is for example when you injury yourself in the gym.
- Disuse is when your muscles tense when you are at your desk due to the body’s natural response to the demands and pressure you are under. Muscles are designed to be used which means if you sit still for long periods the muscular tension doesn’t dissipate.
- Misuse for the majority of people this is due to poor habits when walking, standing and sitting. Sedentary lifestyles means the muscles of the legs are often held in contracted positions for long periods of time and which can lead to stiffness. Sitting at computers for long hours keeps the neck and back in fixed positions causing the same muscles to contract which can lead to muscle tension and in some people muscle pain.
- Stretching Often - Stretching is, of course, a valuable way to relieve muscle stiffness.
- Exercise - Exercise in general is extremely good for releasing muscular stiffness, improving your mood and creating good health.
- Yoga -You can also consider yoga, which is a form of both exercise and stretching, and may have a positive effect on your future muscle discomfort.
- General Health - Your muscles are also very sensitive to your general health as well. You need to do anything you can to make sure you're getting enough sleep, eating protein, and drinking water. These small changes are going to improve your muscle health, which should improve the way your muscles deal with demanding lifestyles.
- Massage - Massage is an excellent way to combat muscle stiffness and pain.
Trigger Points
Often clients sit down to have a massage and are unaware how tight one area of there shoulder or neck is. This is very common and here is why:
- We only notice the worse area of pain - so if our right shoulder is more painful, we have a tendency to assume our left shoulder is OK.
- Trigger Points
- Poor Posture
- Muscle Damage
- Nervous Tension
- Physical Stress
- Psyschological Stress
- Environmental Factors - cold, damp
- Illness
- Lack of rest or sleep
- Poor Diet
- Restricted movement
- Tension headaches
- Referred pain
- Painful movement of a joint or limb
- Maintain good posture
- Manage your stress
- Follow a daily stretching routine
- Acupuncture
- Massage
