cramps

How to Prevent a Side Stitch When Running
Running

Side Stitch: What Causes It and How to Prevent It

Whether you're a newbie or an accomplished marathoner, side stitches happen.
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Whether you're a newbie or an accomplished marathoner, side stitches happen. With all of the research we have available, it sounds strange, but we're still not exactly sure why this pain in the rib cage occurs. Some physiologists have theorized that the common side stitch comes from your stomach and other organs bumping into each other as your feet hit the ground. And others speculate it's caused when the ligament that attaches your liver to your diaphragm becomes overstretched. We can't shift the science that occurs in our bodies, but there are some steps to prevent those pesky cramps.

Don't fill up: Running on a full stomach is never a good idea. And this doesn't just refer to a big meal, it goes for water as well. Staying hydrated is absolutely necessary, but overloading on H2O or a sports drink right before you head off can lead to bad cramps.

Stretch appropriately: Improper or lack of stretching may be linked to annoying side pains that cramp your style. While the verdict is still out on whether stretching before a run prevents injury, get in an active running warmup to cover all your bases.

Breathe deeper: Learning to breathe with your diaphragm can be some of your best defense against cramps. If you're not sure where to start, take our tips and learn to breathe correctly when you run.

If you're suffering from a side stitch in the middle of a run, slow down your pace and your breath. If that doesn't help, stop completely and press your hand into the right side of your body and push up. Once the pain goes away, feel free to jump back on the running wagon. Have you dealt with the side stitch dilemma? What's worked for you?

How to Prevent Cramps While Exercising
Fitness

Don't Let Them Stop You: How to Prevent Cramps While You Exercise

There's nothing worse than enthusiastically beginning your workout only to be sabotaged by a sharp pain in your side.
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There's nothing worse than enthusiastically beginning your workout only to be sabotaged by a sharp pain in your side. If you're experiencing cramps during your regular workout routine, here are three simple ways to prevent cramping while you exercise.

Eat the right snack: You need to fuel before a workout so you can be at the top of your game when exercising, but eating too much can lead to an upset stomach as well as cramps. Go for easily digestible foods that are the right combo of simple carbs and protein to give you energy, but in general make sure you steer clear of high-fiber foods or those that you know you're sensitive to when eating shortly before a workout.

Drink enough water: Dehydration can lead to cramps, so it's important to stay hydrated. But just like your pre-workout snack, drinking too much water before or during your workout can cause cramps, too, so make sure not to overdo it. The adequate amount of water you need depends on how rigorous your workout will be as well as conditions like weather, but make sure you drink an ounce of water for every 10 pounds of body weight about one or two hours before you exercise. If you're endurance training, the cause of your muscle cramps could be due to an electrolyte imbalance. If that's the case, sipping on a sports drink or eating a banana can help with your cramps.

Warm up: Make sure your muscles are properly warmed up before you continue with your workout. Get your muscles moving before you go all out with your exercises by jogging in place, doing a set of jumping jacks, or doing other light cardio to slowly raise your heartbeat for five minutes before you start your workout.

So what should you do if you still have gotten a cramp during exercise? Slow down and stretch and massage the affected area, and stop if you feel like you can't exercise through the pain.

How do you prevent cramps when you exercise?

Stretch Hamstring First to Prevent Cramping
Fitness

Avoid the Hamstring Cramp When Stretching Your Quads

Post-workout, the two most common stretches seem to be the standing quad stretch and just about any hamstring stretch, and they are usually done in that order.
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Post-workout, the two most common stretches seem to be the standing quad stretch and just about any hamstring stretch, and they are usually done in that order. But if you tend to cramp in the backs of your legs, I highly suggest switching it up. Since the quads, on the front of the thigh, and the hamstrings, on the back, are antagonist, one tends to engage as the other stretches. If you have really tight hamstrings, pulling your heel to your booty to stretch your quad can engage muscles on the back of the thigh, making it cramp unpleasantly. Before you stretch your quads, lengthen the back of your legs first with one of these easy hamstring stretches. Once you have stretched your hamstrings, then move on to stretch the front of your legs.

Where Do You Stand? Sex on Your Period
Sex

Where Do You Stand? Sex on Your Period

While it's true that our periods can be a total drag — mood swings, pimples, and cramps — I've heard women say they get extra horny during their time of the month — perhaps it's all those hormones pumping through their veins!
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While it's true that our periods can be a total drag — mood swings, pimples, and cramps — I've heard women say they get extra horny during their time of the month — perhaps it's all those hormones pumping through their veins! Sure, it can be messy, and many men get grossed out by the idea of getting it on when Aunt Flo's in town, but tell me, where do you stand on having sex when you're on your period?

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This or That: Weight Loss or Increased Sex Drive?
Poll

This or That: Weight Loss or Increased Sex Drive?

After working with your gynecologist to find a birth control method that’s better at preventing your terrible PMS and cramps, you’ve finally decided on one that sounds promising.
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After working with your gynecologist to find a birth control method that’s better at preventing your terrible PMS and cramps, you’ve finally decided on one that sounds promising. And after taking it for only a few months, you notice some big changes, both good and bad. Would it be worse if . . .

This: Your PMS has totally disappeared along with 10 pounds, but so has your sex drive? You’ve never felt better about your body, but less in the mood.

Or . . .

That: You’ve got control of your cramps, and find yourself consistently in the mood to get frisky, but you’ve also packed on more weight than you're comfortable with? You've tried amping up the exercise, but it's not going away.

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Dear Poll: Do You Talk Openly About Your Period?
Poll

Dear Poll: Do You Talk Openly About Your Period?

Even though most women get their periods every month, for some reason a lot of us feel the need to talk about it like it's a new phenomenon.
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Even though most women get their periods every month, for some reason a lot of us feel the need to talk about it like it's a new phenomenon. Since we all experience cramps, bloating, and the occasional shed tear, I don't understand why so many women want to draw any more attention to that time of the month than they have to. I seldom complain about PMS but do you openly discuss your period in front of your friends, your significant other, or even your co-workers?

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Anatomy of a Charley Horse
healthy living

Anatomy of a Charley Horse

No one knows the origin of the term Charley Horse, but when you are in the grips of one of these awful nocturnal cramps you don't really care if it comes from an early baseball player or an injured race horse.
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No one knows the origin of the term Charley Horse, but when you are in the grips of one of these awful nocturnal cramps you don't really care if it comes from an early baseball player or an injured race horse. You just want the pain to stop. And just like the origin of the expression, no one has yet to pinpoint a single cause for these cramps. There are many theories as to why they happen — what actions or inactions contribute to them. There are also many steps you can take to prevent them.

A Charley Horse could be caused by overexertion of the muscles, structural disorders like flat feet, prolonged standing on concrete, prolonged sitting, inappropriate leg positions while sedentary (another reason why crossing your legs is really a no-no), or dehydration. Some alternative health practitioners believe magnesium and/or calcium levels are too low, leading to the cramping.

No matter why you get them, you want to know what you can do to avoid them. I suggest staying well hydrated and stretching your calves regularly throughout the day, before bed, and especially if you were wearing high heels for an extended period of time. Light exercise before bed can also help, as can keeping your blankets loose at the foot of your bed since the tight sheets can force the muscles of the foot and calve to engage and then cramp.

Interested in knowing what to do when you get a Charley Horse? Then read more

Why Do Cramps Happen While Running and How to Prevent Cramps
Running

What's the Deal With: Muscle Cramps

Believe it or not, no one can definitively explain the cause of muscle cramps.
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Believe it or not, no one can definitively explain the cause of muscle cramps. Unfortunately many endurance athletes are eager to know why cramps occur and how to prevent them. There are several plausible theories on what causes these debilitating involuntary spasms of muscles including: excessive heat, dehydration, and the loss of electrolytes, to muscle fatigue, insufficient training, and poor stretching habits. A new theory points the blame to the interplay between muscles and nerves.

Since the cause of cramps is not understood, the folks at Active.com suggest you take a blanket approach and cover all your bases for cramp prevention. They suggest the following strategies:

  • Stretching: Pay extra attention to the muscles that cramp. Stretch them gently but thoroughly. Experiment with PNF stretching, where you contract the muscle prior to stretching; you might find it more effective.
  • Train appropriately: Being under trained, especially for marathons, can overwhelm your muscles making you susceptible to cramps.
  • Sip a sports drink: Even though the jury is still out on the connection between dehydration and cramping, you should stay well hydrated while running. Plus, regular sips of a sports drink can likely decrease the severity of your cramp should one occur. Make sure your fluid of choice contains electrolytes since these salts may help prevent cramps.
  • Try some plyo: Plyometrics training, full of leaping, hopping, or skipping drills, can improve muscle-nerve coordination, strength, and help loosen tight muscles.

If you are planning on racing in the near future, plan ahead and train to avoid cramping!

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Got Cramps? Try Acupuncture
cramps

Got Cramps? Try Acupuncture

Menstrual cramps are no fun, but for some women, the pain can be so unbearable that it prevents them from going to work, or even getting out of bed.
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Menstrual cramps are no fun, but for some women, the pain can be so unbearable that it prevents them from going to work, or even getting out of bed. Instead of popping pain meds, new research from Germany shows that acupuncture treatments may be beneficial in helping to ease menstrual pain.

The study tested 201 women with dysmenorrhea, a condition that causes achy and throbbing cramps. The women were randomly assigned acupuncture treatments or no treatment. After three months, 63 percent of the women who received treatment (about 10 sessions) had at least a 33 percent improvement in their pain. This sounds like a pretty good treatment option, as long as you aren't freaked out by needles.

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Dear Poll: Do You Have Sex When You Have Your Period?
Sex

Dear Poll: Do You Have Sex When You Have Your Period?

Whether you get your period every month, or every few months, we can all agree - it's no fun.
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Whether you get your period every month, or every few months, we can all agree - it's no fun.

We often feel tired, bloated, moody and depressed. Our boobs get sore and most of us experience the oh-so-wonderful cramps too.

I'm sure you've heard that having sex can actually be beneficial during your "time of the month." Sex is a great stress-reliever, so it can improve your mood and if you're lucky enough to reach orgasm, the muscular contractions you are experiencing in your uterus can also relieve cramps.

With all that said, I want to know...

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