You may have already experienced leg cramps, at least once in your life. They can strike anytime, regardless of whether you are sitting, standing, running on the treadmill or sleeping. For those who don’t know what leg cramps are, it is basically a sudden tightening or contraction of the calf muscle which lasts for a few seconds. There are quite a few causes that lead to leg cramping that you should be aware of. So, here are 6 major reasons you might be experiencing leg cramps frequently.
1. Dehydration is one of the most common causes that leads to painful leg cramps. So, hydrate yourself well, especially, during summers.
2. When you sweat, you lose electrolytes and other minerals which leads to spontaneous cramps. Have bananas, sweet potatoes and spinach that will provide you with muscle-friendly minerals and ward off any deficiency that could cause leg cramps.
3. The deficiency of magnesium and potassium also leads to leg cramps. This is mostly experienced by pregnant women because the deficiency of these minerals is higher during pregnancy. So, have foods rich in magnesium to avoid leg cramps.
4. Many experience legs cramps due to overuse. If you are exercising way too much, or if you are doing a boot camp, you may experience cramping later on. So, avoid over-exercising or over-exertion of any kind. Resting and stretching is equally important.
5. Tiredness or fatigue in the muscles also cause leg cramps. Night cramps also happen due to fatigue so, it is important to give your body enough time to recover.
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6. Prolonged standing or sitting contributes to muscle fatigue, which in turn causes cramping. So, avoid standing or sitting in a fixed position for too long.
If you do experience cramps, stretch your calf muscle gently and massage it to increase blood circulation.
Take care.
