Workout numbness and cramps

Jalexander33 · July 2016

I am trying to understand why the ball of my right foot tends to go numb on the elliptical? My left will too but not as fast or as much as my right does. In the past I try picking up my foot a bit and placing it back down in the petal or rock my foot heel to toe and back. This helps some what but I begin to lose my pace and my heart rate begins to drop since I'm slowing down. Other times it gets so bad I have to stop and kick my foot out for a few seconds to get blood moving there. Am I doing something wrong or is this a common problem? This also happens on treadmills too. I normally put in a 30 minute cardio sessions and I start getting numbness around 10 to 15 minute mark.

On the fifth day of cardio I find one of my calves seems to always cramp. I drink plenty of water normally around 9 glasses or more a day. I try to listen to my body and let it tell me when I need to rest and if my body parts are fatigued. Yesterday was my rest day and I didn't do any weight lifting or cardio. Went to work walked about 7 or 8k steps for the day but right around quitting time I got this sharp pain in my right calve "a pulled muscle". The pain has gone down since last night but it's still there a little. Today is leg day lifting and I am wondering if I will be alright if I do my warm up can I work through it or should I work through it?
Am I not getting enough rest? Should I do Cardio every other day?

StealthHealth · July 2016

First thoughts are - shoe laces too tight, especially further down, towards the toes.

Jalexander33 · July 2016

StealthHealth wrote: »

First thoughts are - shoe laces too tight, especially further down, towards the toes.

I found my New Balance running shoes preform probably the best over my 2 pairs of running shoes by Puma. But I can say without a doubt my shoes aren't tight nor are the strings tight.

StealthHealth · July 2016

I think it's a doctor or physiotherapist visit then

RoxieDawn · July 2016

Usually the shoes. If they are not wide enough for the toes to expand my feet go to sleep to. I make sure the shoes wear for the elliptical/treadmill are very loosely tied (the entire shoe is loosely tied)

Also the calves, will get better. While the elliptical really does work the calves per se, The elliptical takes a little while to work out the ins and out of what it works out on your body in terms of your legs, calves, glutes.. I run every day and I always get sore a little bit even in my calves when I ride the elliptical because it is not even close to running. I have done strength training in my legs and calves which helps immensely.

Take breaks after so many miles or length of time..I always stop after 20 - 25 minutes and walk around and get back on it.

ccrdragon · July 2016

This could simply be a mechanics thing - I find that this happens to me when I am not balancing my weight correctly and I am putting more strain on 1 foot vs the other foot. Check your balance and make sure that you are distributing your weight evenly across both feet.

For the calf problem, if it is a pulled muscle you will need to rest it for a few days until you can walk comfortably without pain in the area that you are now experiencing it. If its just cramps (and cramps can make the muscle hurt for a couple of days - depending on the severity of the cramp) then your electrolytes may be out of balance from the increase in exercise - you could increase your potassium and sodium intake (eat foods high in potassium like oranges, bananas and corn) and that should help with the cramps. Also, stretching the muscles before AND after your exercise periods will help as well.

KDar1988 · July 2016

I had trouble with my foot falling asleep in the beginning. Over time it has stopped. Not sure how long you've been at it, but maybe it's just going to take time to work through. I find myself putting more pressure on the outside of my foot so I tend to agree with the poster above to watch your balancing and amount of strain you're putting on your feet. I have to correct myself often.

technospice · July 2016

I used to have this problem. My feet would go numb on the elliptical, and I'd have horrible foot cramps while running even though I was hydrating like a mofo, drinking the gatorades and electrolyte drinks, and stretching for upward to 5-10 minutes before doing anything (I tried all the usual suggestions). I tried different shoes (2 different types of Asics) with no change until I changed to Nike FreeRun RNs and suddenly all of those problems went away. I generally don't like to throw a lot of money at clothes, so this was a huge expenditure for me that turned out to be the right decision.

It's in finding a good pair of shoes that are right for you. If you have foot trouble, you may have to throw some money at it to get it to go away. It's worth it if you work out and you're on your feet a lot. Just make sure you do your homework on the subject. For me, I knew that I have slightly lower arches and that thicker (clunkier) more "supportive" soles made the problem worse. So I went for a pair with a small sole and slight arch support.

Cherimoose · July 2016

Most shoes, especially running shoes, have a raised heel, which tightens the calves, and puts more pressure on the forefoot. Switch to zero heel shoes and wear them all day.

Jalexander33 · July 2016

Thanks for the advice guys and I'll keep at it. I think going forward I'll stick with the New Balance shoes and see if it improves. If it doesn't I will be doing some shoe shopping

Jalexander33 · July 2016

Alright I want to thank everyone. I did my workout today and the numbness was at a very low and manageable limit. Today I wore the new balance shoes and I wiggled the toes on the right foot and everything was fine.

Workout numbness and cramps

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