Getting a cramp can be one of our worst nightmares .They come around so suddenly and they can even stop us from playing sports. Most of us would have witnessed someone experiencing a cramp before or even worse ourselves.
Picture this, you're playing sports or running and you are on top of your game today! And then all of a sudden your leg cramps up and you're down on the ground! Leg cramps can be extremely painful and most annoying. They will wake you up in the middle of the night or even when you're exercising. But what can we do about it?
Before we go into a way to solve this dreadful problem lets discuss how we get these cramps or commonly known as "Charley Horses".
The most common known reason as to why we get leg cramps is an Electrolyte deficiency which basically means we have lost certain elements that keep our body from functioning properly. These elements include Magnesium, sodium, potassium and chloride. When we sweat we lose these elements and that's why it's important to replenish them via Electrolyte replenishment drinks or supplements.
What can we do?
First of all, there are so many athletes and average fitness folk out there who after a workout only stretch for about 1-2 mins. This is crazy! If you think that 1-2 mins of stretching is enough then you need a slap in the face. It usually takes at least one full minute for a muscle to have a permanent stretch. That's 60 seconds PER muscle, not the entire stretching process. Make sure you stretch slowly; this will allow the muscle to lengthen gradually.
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