How to Stop Foot Cramps When Swimming
You are swimming along doing your best crawl when, mid-stroke, sharp pains in one foot or both abruptly end your workout. Foot cramps plague many swimmers, especially during laps where you are using the flutter kick or the dolphin kick. According to Daniel Altchuler, president of the California Podiatric Medical Association, foot cramps are caused by "excessive plantar flexion of the foot" or pointing your toes (see Reference 1). One way to deal with foot cramps is to stop your workout and massage your feet. Also change your stroke and start doing the breaststroke. Altchuler also recommends relaxing your feet more as you use the flutter kick or dolphin kick. The best way to deal with swimming foot cramping is to stop them before they start.
Instructions
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Stretch before you begin your swim. This will also prevent cramping, says Altchuler. Concentrate on your lower leg muscles and your feet during your stretches. To relieve foot cramps after you get in the water, according to Sharon Stocker in Prevention magazine, try a toe stretch (see Reference 2). Put your toes against a wall and press toward the floor with the "four corners" of your feet (your left and right heel area and the bones in back of your toes). While your toes are on the wall and your four corners are on the floor, lift your inner ankle bone to ease the cramp.
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Hydrate before and during your workout. Even though you are in water, you are sweating during your swim. Jackie Berning writes in the Sports Medicine Advisor that dehydration can lead to poor sports performance, including cramping. She suggests keeping a water bottle close while you work out and drinking some at least every 15 to 30 minutes (see Reference 3).
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Eat your bananas and green, leafy vegetables. Low electrolyte levels, especially potassium, calcium and magnesium, also cause cramping during swimming. Jessica Seaton in U.S. Masters recommends a banana a day and to drink an electrolyte drink while you are working out (see Reference 3).
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Tips & Warnings
Exhaustion is another cause of foot cramps. You might find your feet cramp more as you grow closer to the end of your workout. Ms. Seaton recommends a consistent training schedule of three to five times per week. Swimmers who are in better shape have less cramping, she says (see reference 3).
Cold water also has a cramping effect for some swimmers, according to Seaton. Her recommendation is to warm up on land before getting into the pool or if you jump into the pool, start slowly and work your way up to a sprint (see Reference 3).
