When does cramp pain go away?

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AgeTaylor
AgeTaylor Posts: 14 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
About 3 weeks ago I started doing Zumba almost every day. My cardio vascular endurance has sky rocketed. However, sharp pinching pains in my calves during my workouts, especially on the sides under my knees, are rather bothersome. I believe it is just my muscles getting used to the load. How long until I can expect my muscles to be aclimated, or at least normal next-day type sore. I want to up my intensity but the pains are holding me back.

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  • benjam2421
    benjam2421 Posts: 24 Member
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    do you do any kind of stretches ? yoga?
    ever heard of a foam roller. i would use it after you are done with your class
  • RocketGirlWalker
    RocketGirlWalker Posts: 4 Member
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    I have had this since I started working out in January. I bought different shoes at a running store. This has been driving me nuts! I have found stretches that I do every day before I workout that seem to be helping. But ultimately it's just time. It takes time to rebuild the muscles in your calves that you haven't been using. I have just kept plodding along and have to stop when the pain gets to be too much. The pain has improved a lot. It just takes time and you need to take it slower than you have been until you get those muscles rebuilt, at least that's what I have learned from talking to people and researching. Good luck. It does get better, just not as quickly as we want it to.
  • AgeTaylor
    AgeTaylor Posts: 14 Member
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    Thanks for the feed back. I have been working on stretching more, but maybe I still haven't been doing enough. I will look into a foam roller.

    And thanks for sharing that it is still happeneing to you, RocketGirl, that helps me align my expectations.
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
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    Consider doing self-myofascial release. I’ll roll my calves and shins with a soft ball and a lacrosse ball before and after activities that include a lot of jumping. A foam roller is good, but I prefer the direct and more firm pressure I can get from the balls.
  • vfit10
    vfit10 Posts: 228 Member
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    Drink lots of water ... Foam roller... Light stretch
  • Foamroller
    Foamroller Posts: 1,041 Member
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    Cramps are often lack of magnesium. Solved it for me.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    Cramps are often the cause of dehydration and low potassium.
  • Absolute_Hot_Mess
    Absolute_Hot_Mess Posts: 19
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    Reply above is correct. Take a potassium supplement if you can't get enough from nutrition. Always drink water.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,209 Member
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    Reply above is incorrect. Don't take a potassium supplement without medical supervision, since too much can cause heart arrhythmias. That's why supplements contain very little potassium.

    OP, your calves are probably just tight from all the work they're getting. Try hourly stretching, for 30+ seconds. Here's how:
    https://youtube.com/watch?v=CkgkmbXz8Mo

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