How To Prevent Leg Cramps

Leg cramps are contractions of the muscle, especially in the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. It is caused due to a muscle spasm that is when a muscle gets contracted severely. The duration of a leg cramp may vary from a few seconds to minutes.

There are various factors that cause leg cramps, including dehydration, fatigue, nutritional imbalances, and muscle exhaustion. Sometimes, even the medications you take are responsible for causing leg cramps. Few of the natural methods to reduce leg cramps are as follows.

Best Way To Prevent Leg Cramps

Consume Water

Drink plenty of water. If you are physically active (that includes doing household chores, gardening, and walking) you need fluids in order to avoid dehydration. However, be careful not to overdo it. Higher amounts of fluids may dilute the sodium concentration in your blood.

This causes several problems, including muscle cramps. As you grow older, the tendency to drink enough water reduces as your thirst impulse becomes weaker with age. Frequent bathroom trips, especially at night are also a reason for less consumption of water.

Nutritional Supplements

Have magnesium, potassium, and calcium supplements once your muscle cramp becomes a chronic problem. These supplements will help in balancing the electrolytes in the cells of the muscle for optimum function, thereby preventing the muscle cramps.

Consuming nutritional supplements on a regular basis can give you a great support to cure the leg cramps.

Stretching

Stretching your foot and calf muscles before bedtime can help in preventing leg cramps. Try to place your feet (front part) on the last step of a stairway and slowly lower your heels such that they are below the level of the step.

This will help in reducing the leg cramps. Stretching plays a huge role in the prevention of the leg cramps; hence it is advisable to perform stretch on a regular basis.

Banana

Bananas are rich in calcium and potassium content. Having bananas reduces the leg cramps as low potassium levels also cause leg cramps. Overweight people should limit their banana consumption to one a day as they have very high caloric value.

Chamomile Tea

Have chamomile tea into which little honey is mixed when you suffer from a leg cramp. Chamomile relaxes the muscles, thereby reducing the occurrence of leg cramps.

Chamomile tea plays a big role in curing leg cramps in an effective manner. It is suggested to consume chamomile tea on a regular basis to reduce leg cramps.

Bilberry

Bilberry, or Vaccinium myrtillus, is a dark-blue berry which is very similar to the blueberry. Bilberry contains a high concentration of beneficial compounds (tannins, anthocyanoside antioxidants, lutein, and catechins).

Having bilberry in a moderate amount helps in relieving leg cramps. A regular consumption of bilberry can give you a great positive effect towards the prevention process of leg cramps.

Try Herbal Remedy

Ginkgo biloba is a herbal form of medicine and has very high antioxidant properties. Gingko is very effective in treating leg cramps caused due to the poor circulation of blood in the periphery artery of the legs.

The flow of blood to the legs is stimulated when the arteries receive the proper flow of blood, thereby reducing the leg cramps.

Ginger Tea

Having ginger tea activates the circulatory system, resulting in improved blood circulation of the body. This reduces the leg cramps caused due to poor blood circulation.

Due to this nature of ginger tea, it is suggested to consume ginger tea on a regular basis to help in reducing leg cramps.