Help! Awful Foot Cramps

shellydawnfox

In the last 4-5 weeks, I've started taking a PiYo (Pilates/Yoga) class at my gym every Tuesday night. But, during every class, my feet seize up in these horrible cramps! It's bad enough that I have to stop for several minutes (and miss several of the exercises) to massage them away. In the last week, I've even started getting them out of nowhere while I'm sleeping, or while I'm just sitting in a chair.

I drink about 70 oz of water each day, and a couple weeks ago I started taking a Potassium pill every day. I try to stretch out my feet before the class starts (that does help a little) and after we've finished, but they still cramp up. The instructor thinks it may be due to weak ankles (I have had a LOT of ankle problems in my life) and my feet are trying to overcompensate, or that I am tensing up too much while trying to push my muscles as hard as I can.

Does anyone know of something else I could be doing to combat this? Or even how I could keep from tensing up so much during class (I've never been very muscular, so PiYo is very difficult for my under-developed muscles)? Thanks, everyone!