If you’re like me, you probably experienced a painful leg cramp in the middle of the night called a charley horse. This condition comes when the calf muscles cramp up tightly. It typically happens in the middle of the night when you’re trying to sleep. If you frequently experience this like me, there are ways you can alleviate this condition or prevent it altogether. Here are four ways you can do this.
One contributing factor to charley horses is the overuse of muscles. The article, “How to deal with those middle-of-the-night leg cramps,” on www
.healthiguide.com shares this doesn’t only mean long periods of strenuous exercise. It could also mean long periods of time standing. By providing your body a healthy amount of calcium, potassium, or magnesium, you will be decreasing your chances of getting a charley horse. Leafy greens are good examples of foods filled with calcium, magnesium and potassium.
Another prevention method is while you’re exercising, you must stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water. You are putting yourself at risk by being dehydrated, especially during periods of exertion.
Another good way to prevent charley horses is to stretch out your muscles before you lie down to sleep. Calf stretches are a good place to start, but other exercises could help as well. One exercise that could also be beneficial for leg cramps are lunges.
Lastly, if you’ve been experiencing frequent than normal charley horses, you may want to contact your doctor right away about this being a serious condition. The HealthiGuide article cites leg cramps as being symptoms of critical illnesses, such as diabetes and thyroid disease. So if you want to be safe than sorry, be sure to check with your doctor about this.
Leg cramps, otherwise known as charley horses, happen from time to time. When they happen, they are very painful. But by having a healthy diet, drinking plenty of water, stretching your leg muscles before you go to bed, you will be reducing your chances of getting them again.
