What happens with cramp?
When the muscle suffers cramp it goes into spasm. The spasm squeezes the blood out of the muscle like a sponge, preventing the muscle from getting its nutrients. In addition, if the spasm is severe then there may be damage to the muscle, such as a muscle strain in some cases!
Why and when does it happen?
Cramp is still a bit of a mystery in the medical world, as it can happen to anyone at any age, when you are sleeping or resting, and it’s sometimes difficult to pin it down to one reason. However, there are a number of very common reasons why cramp occurs, and I’ve put together 3 things that you can do to prevent it.
- Hydrate – staying hydrated, especially in hot weather and when exercising is key. Water is the best for staying hydrated and preventing the build-up of toxins in the body, which is thought to lead to cramp.
- Stretch! – (yawn), although not the most exciting way to start your day, stretching genuinely is a great way to stimulate blood flow and ease muscle tension. Try and stretch once a day to begin with, and try to make it at the same point of each day, to incorporate it in to your daily routine. I promise that you’ll start to feel the benefits from it after just a few weeks.
- Sports Massage – look at Sports Massage as a very thorough form of stretching, as it stimulates the blood flow, eases muscle tension and keeps the blood circulating around the body properly. Regular Sports Massage is a great way of keeping your body ticking over, and helping to prevent any those unwanted bouts of cramp!