Calve Muscles

janlee_001
janlee_001 Posts: 309 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
One of my biggest issues is my calve muscles. If I dance, Zumba, aerobics .... my calf muscle get extremely sore within 5 minutes of my workout. They cramp/lock up a bit. It's enough that I have to often pause my routine and stretch (toes toward body)


BTW - I even warmed up with a 7 minute exercise today and wore my leg warmers - didn't help.


Can anyone help me to prevent this or offer any suggestions? Thank you.
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Replies

  • cpegasus01
    cpegasus01 Posts: 400 Member
    are you getting enough potassium?
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
    bump. this happened to me at my first ballet class last night. my calf muscles cramped up on EVERY position we did on the balls of our feet! Seeing if anybody has advice too
  • TrimAnew
    TrimAnew Posts: 127 Member
    Are your day shoes very different from your workout shoes? Aka, are you in high heels all day and then flats when they cramp?
  • murphy612
    murphy612 Posts: 734 Member
    Cramping muscles is usually caused by dehydration rather than stretching issues (most of the time anyway). Try hydrating more and make sure you are getting enough potassium which aids in hydration.
  • StarkLark
    StarkLark Posts: 476 Member
    Extra water is just about the only thing that keeps my calves from cramping.
  • janlee_001
    janlee_001 Posts: 309 Member
    are you getting enough potassium?
    That might just be the issue - I have been drinking my 8+ glasses of water and liquids/day. I will try fueling up on some gatorade and eat foods higher in potassium.

    Good suggestion.
  • janlee_001
    janlee_001 Posts: 309 Member
    Are your day shoes very different from your workout shoes? Aka, are you in high heels all day and then flats when they cramp?
    No, I pretty much walk around all day barefoot or in flipflops - rarely wear heels. I wish that would solve it. Thank you.
  • avandy83
    avandy83 Posts: 23
    Water, bananas, and drink some pickle juice every day. Just like a quarter of a cup
  • janlee_001
    janlee_001 Posts: 309 Member
    bump. this happened to me at my first ballet class last night. my calf muscles cramped up on EVERY position we did on the balls of our feet! Seeing if anybody has advice too
    Oh that is what drives me - I used to take ballet when I was young and was on pointe. Now, being the old lady I am my calves cramp. LOL
  • Serafimangel
    Serafimangel Posts: 174 Member
    I went to physio for this, was told I had overdone it and needed to strech more after. You could also try ice on them post workout or massaging them (or both). To be honest though mine have improved but still hurt every time, will have to try upping my potassium too methinks.
  • coopjg
    coopjg Posts: 4 Member
    Water and bananas
  • AmyParker979
    AmyParker979 Posts: 84 Member
    I had that issue in the beginning. Stretching is the only thing that helped. Before and after I'll find a step or a curb and just 'hang' from my toes (letting my heels drop) for up to 5 minutes.
  • wolfwalker67
    wolfwalker67 Posts: 24
    Potassium alone might no be enough. Some times muscle cramps are a result of low calcium levels as well. Try the potassium and if that doesn't work, try taking some calcium with Vitamin D.
  • shicken684
    shicken684 Posts: 36
    Watch the Gatorade since it has loads of sugar. Better off eating a banana or coconut water(any of these options is going to yield you around 100 calories so make sure you add them). What worked for me with my shin splints(caused by weak calf muscles) was stretching after a warm up. Spend 5min doing some light exercise then do your stretches. Once I started doing that my cramps and shin splints have mostly gone away.

    If this is your first time exercising in a long time it's just going to hurt for a while. My entire body was sore for two months after I got back in the gym after a decade off.
  • Heaven71
    Heaven71 Posts: 706 Member
    water, bananas, much more stretching and get a foam roller.
  • rubyautumn4
    rubyautumn4 Posts: 818 Member
    potassium, water, stretching, no flip flops or high heels, foam roller, calf massage.
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
    I used to wear very high heels (4 or more inches) everyday, and this same thing happened to me when I started in on exercise. If this is the case for you as well, try wearing a shoe with even a tiny heel, such as the kind made by Sketchers, so that the calf muscle doesn't get over extended during your class.

    I know that Zumba is supposed to be done barefoot, but if you don't ever wear the shoes outdoors, and they have a non-marking outsole, I'm sure the gym will make an exception for modification purposes.
  • janlee_001
    janlee_001 Posts: 309 Member
    I had that issue in the beginning. Stretching is the only thing that helped. Before and after I'll find a step or a curb and just 'hang' from my toes (letting my heels drop) for up to 5 minutes.
    Calciumb - been low on that lately.
  • janlee_001
    janlee_001 Posts: 309 Member
    BUT I love my flip flops :noway:
  • starrlette
    starrlette Posts: 38
    I always cramp up if I'm not getting enough calcium.
  • blackcoffeeandcherrypie
    blackcoffeeandcherrypie Posts: 486 Member
    It could be the way you're walking / how your foot hits the ground. Do you under or over pronate? i.e. do you walk more on the inside or outside of your foot, rather than hitting the floor dead centre?

    As a long shot, it might be worth going to one of those running stores where they film you running on a treadmill for a few seconds, and then analyse whether you need extra support in your training shoe.

    A simple way to tell is to look at old shoes and see which side of the sole wears more. I used to walk too much on the outsides of my feet and this gave me bad shin splints.
  • janlee_001
    janlee_001 Posts: 309 Member
    It could be the way you're walking / how your foot hits the ground. Do you under or over pronate? i.e. do you walk more on the inside or outside of your foot, rather than hitting the floor dead centre?

    As a long shot, it might be worth going to one of those running stores where they film you running on a treadmill for a few seconds, and then analyse whether you need extra support in your training shoe.

    A simple way to tell is to look at old shoes and see which side of the sole wears more. I used to walk too much on the outsides of my feet and this gave me bad shin splints.
    I will have to go look - yes I do walk one side more than the other - i just hardly wear shoes.
  • janlee_001
    janlee_001 Posts: 309 Member
    I purchased some No Salt today which is Potassium Chloride - that will help me add K to my diet w/o the cals.
  • ashtonvv
    ashtonvv Posts: 144
    Are your day shoes very different from your workout shoes? Aka, are you in high heels all day and then flats when they cramp?
    No, I pretty much walk around all day barefoot or in flipflops - rarely wear heels. I wish that would solve it. Thank you.


    I would try a different pair of shoes, go into a store and get fitted properly. If your shoes are too tight or aren't giving you the right support it can cause alot of discomfort issues.

    I would try different stretches that target the calf muscles, try sitting down toes pointed inwards and reach as close to your toes as you can. Also, when standing put on foot infront of the other and go into a light squat position, you should feel it stretch from your ankle all the way to the back of your knee.

    Also, stretch those quads, some time sore muscles come from something not working properly above or below the muscle that is sore (over compensation).

    Hopefully this helps. -- I just came off a long run with shin splints so I can relate to your pain.
  • Maryaly40
    Maryaly40 Posts: 551 Member
    are you getting enough potassium?
    That might just be the issue - I have been drinking my 8+ glasses of water and liquids/day. I will try fueling up on some gatorade and eat foods higher in potassium.

    Good suggestion.

    No Gatorade! Sugar water. All you need is water. Or try Cononut Water
  • twinmama1987
    twinmama1987 Posts: 566 Member
    could be your shoes.
  • Weebs628
    Weebs628 Posts: 574 Member
    I have the same problem especially when I run or jump I just have to stretch it out really good. Some days it's worse than others. I go to a massage therapist and he says I'm always tight in my calves from my dancing so I just stretch, massage and stay hydrated.
  • janlee_001
    janlee_001 Posts: 309 Member
    Well I bought potassium chloride - Salt substitute. I've been increasing my calcium (but I don't think that is the problem)

    Is it possible that I just have too much weight for my calves? What about lactic acid how do I keep that from building up?
  • plattypus
    plattypus Posts: 1 Member
    have your potassium checked and especially your calcium. I get severe cramps in my calves even when i'm asleep to the point that it will wake me from a sound sleep. went to the doctor and my calcium was critically low and was put on prescription dose of calcium twice a week.
  • Anamdalta
    Anamdalta Posts: 56
    One of my biggest issues is my calve muscles. If I dance, Zumba, aerobics .... my calf muscle get extremely sore within 5 minutes of my workout. They cramp/lock up a bit. It's enough that I have to often pause my routine and stretch (toes toward body)


    BTW - I even warmed up with a 7 minute exercise today and wore my leg warmers - didn't help.


    Can anyone help me to prevent this or offer any suggestions? Thank you.

    Try drinking water and eating a banana a bit before your work out. Bananas are a great source of potassium.

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