How to Avoid Cramping During Exercise

Exercise is excellent for the body. It can help you lose weight, lower your cholesterol and keep you feeling young and fit. Exercise can also cause cramping in your muscles, which can be extremely painful. Here are some tips to avoid cramping during exercise.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Water

1. Make sure are properly hydrated. Exercising while dehydrated will lead to cramps and possibly much worse. You should try to drink eight 8 oz glasses of water a day. Make sure you drink a glass an hour before you exercise and bring a bottle of water with you to the gym or your sporting event.

2. Sports drinks can also be helpful in keeping you from cramping. Sports drinks, like Gatorade, have sodium as a major ingredient. Sodium helps keep your muscles from cramping. Don't overdo it. One bottle of sports drink per hour of exercise is plenty.

3. Make sure you stretch after a brief warm up. If you plan on doing an hour's worth of cardio, do ten minutes on the elliptical or jog for about a quarter of a mile. Now that you're body is good and warmed up, do a series of stretches. Make sure you get every major muscle. Depending on how long and how intensely you work out, you may need to take stretching breaks during your workout.

4. This last step is not for the faint at heart. The only people who need to do this are athletes that do long, grueling work outs outside. For instance, long distance runners or football players. Drink pickle juice. Once again, it's the sodium and it's in a concentrated form. Don't drink too much, a few sips will do. Follow with water.

Tips & Warnings

• Pay attention to your body
• Don't ignore cramps. You can work through them but try to do the steps above to help.

[lindsey23]

on 6/29/2009 One of the reasons I'm bad at regular exercise is cramping. Hopefully your tips will make it easier for me! Thanks!

[sonni57]

on 5/31/2009 I'm bad I ignore cramps and keep going maybe I should take your advice instead.