Hi bobligg,
I'd like to direct your attention to the disclaimer at the bottom of
this page. I am not a doctor or a health care practitioner, and if
the pains are severe and long lasting in duration it might be
advisable to ask a professional for their advice. With that said, I
can tell you when growing up I played tennis competitively and my
experience with calf cramps was more than I wanted! I also studied
ballet and tap... so my legs got a good workout.
Sometimes a cramp in the calf muscle is referred to as a Charley
Horse, and should last no more than a few minutes. They may be caused
by exercise or the lack of exercise. People can awakened from sleep
with a painful Charley Horse. You can ease the pain somewhat by
stretching and massaging the muscle. However, to avoid muscle cramps,
make sure you are drinking enough fluids and doing proper warm-up
stretches before exercise.
If you suffer muscle cramps frequently, talk with your physician.
The elliptical trainer uses all of the muscles of the lower leg, and
you will strengthen and build your lower legs.
Because the nature of elliptical trainers combine the movements of the
stair climber, treadmill, and the exercise bike into one, any
stretching prior to a workout and also afterwards is going to be
beneficial and should prevent further painful episodes. Elliptical
exercise equipment combines the movements and benefits of hiking,
cross country skiing, and biking.
When you first get on the elliptical trainer, your legs will probably
start going backwards. Not good! Instead, place your feet on the foot
pedals and push forward.
The trainer will begin to move forward and you simply follow the
elliptical pattern, remembering to start off slowly. You can work up
to more advanced levels, and vary the resistance by adding more power
to your push.
*****
How to stretch before and after:
Hold a stretched position for a few seconds rather than bouncing
movements.
Rest your forearms against a wall, fence or anything you can lean on
for support. Bring one leg close to the wall and bend it at the knee.
Straighten the other leg out with the foot flat and hold for 30
seconds. Then switch legs.
Raise up onto your toes (both feet) repeatedly.
*****
Safe Stretching Guide
http://www.rippedcanadians.ca/index.php?view=fyre&article=stretch
"A developmental stretch is performed by increasing the stretch by a
fraction until you feel the mild tension in the muscle again, hold
this position and when the tension eases repeat again. If the stretch
becomes painful, you have gone too far. Again, this should be done
with control and without bouncing. Bare in mind that a developmenal
stretch should be held for 20 seconds, to the point of tension, not
pain, then you should relax into the stretch and aim to hold it for
another 20 seconds. Remember to always breathe during your stretches.
I myself, always aim to hold my stetches for at least 30 seconds as
opposed to 10-20 seconds.
To see any noticeable gains in flexibility, you must stretch three to
four times a week. Flexibility gains can be seen in as little as two
to three weeks.
Here are some guidelines to follow before you stretch:
* Warm-up before stretching (you want to stretch warm muscles not cold
ones) Warm muscles are more elastic than cold.
I always stretch following my workout for about 15-30 minutes
depending on whether I'm doing maintenance or developmental
stretching.
* Isolate the muscle to be stretched, which means to place it in a
position that makes the target muscle more susceptible to be
stretched. For instance, to isolate the calf muscle, you would bend
the knee and this would release tension in the calf.
* Move slowly and smoothly into the stretch
* Breathe normally (don't hold your breath)
* Hold the stretch (usually 10-60 seconds) and relax.
* Do not strain or passively force a joint beyond its normal range of
motion.
* Come out of each stretch carefully
Much like everything else, we all have our own levels of flexibility.
Some of us are more flexible than others. Work at your own pace, don't
rush it. Over time, your flexibility will increase. You may be at risk
of an injury if you try to stretch too much, too quickly so work at
your own pace, not someone elses."
*****
Photos and instructions on how to stretch the calf muscle:
http://physicaltherapy.about.com/library/weekly/aa081501d.htm
http://www.time-to-run.com/stretching/stretch1.htm
http://www.fredysnet.com/id46.html
*****
If you get a cramp you can relieve it by reaching down and pulling
your foot/toes upwards toward your shin. Also massaging and
stretching the muscle can give immediate relief.
*****
Just What the Doctor Ordered!
http://myturl.com/0006Y
Stretching instructions
"Calf Stretches-upper calf stretch
Place your hands lightly on the wall or chair back for support. Stand
with one leg in front of you, and bend the knee. Keep the back leg
straight and both feet flat on the floor and pointed straight ahead.
Increase the bend of the forward knee, but keep the back one straight,
hold, repeat with the other leg. If you have trouble feeling a stretch
in your calf muscle, try a wider stance and bend the front leg more.
Repeat the sequence 2 to 4 times.
Lower CalfStretch
Use the same position as in the upper calf stretch, except allow both
knees to bend. Feel the stretch in thel ower calf muscle of the back
leg."
*****
Health and Fitness
http://www.trailrider.com/article_39.shtml
Muscle Cramps by Dr. Steve Augustine
"Cramping usually occurs in the muscles that are being used most which
are typically the calf or arm muscles.
Immediate treatment for a cramp consists of stretching the muscle to
its longest position and holding it in that stretched position until
the spasm stops and until the cramp does not return when the muscle is
not being stretched. If the cramp returns when you let off the
stretch, place the muscle back in the stretched position. It is also
important to hydrate yourself when cramping occurs. It is only
necessary to seek medical evaluation if you have cramping in multiple
muscles or in muscles that are not being exercised (generalized
cramping). You should also seek evaluation if you have confusion or
loss of consciousness associated with the cramps and if you have dark
urine or difficulty making urine in the first 24 hours after the
cramping episode. One final reason to see the doctor is if you have
repeated bouts of muscle cramps when you are exercising, to make sure
there is no underlying medical problem causing the cramps.
The key to preventing acute exercise induced muscle cramps is
protecting the muscles from developing premature fatigue.
Regularly stretch the muscle groups that are prone to cramping..."
[edit]
Maintaining adequate nutrition and hydration levels also helps in
preventing cramps."
*****
Cramps
http://www.spinalhealth.net/cramps.html
Muscle Cramps
"When a muscle has been working hard, or is over worked, it will
sometimes involunarily knot-up or spasm. This is very painful and can
easily bring the strongest athlete to his or her knees. They are most
common after long training sessions or during/after races, especially
if the athlete has been sweating a lot."
[edit]
"Fatigue Cramps would be less related to your electrolyte balance and
more related to your muscles working hard and then sort of getting
stuck in one position. Pointing the toes may cause the muscles on the
bottom of the foot to cramp." (you don't want to do that!)
Fatigue Cramps can usually be alleviated by stretching the offending
muscle. So, if your calf cramps up, start doing a calf stretch.
[edit]
"If your calf cramps, contract your shin muslces (dorsiflexors) until
the calf releases. But better yet is to stretch everything well
before you start exercising so that the muscles are loose to begin
with."
*****
Google search: calf cramps, exercise, stretching techniques, Charley
Horse, muscle pain,
And, my own personal experience.
Best regards,
tlspiegel |
