[ccook43091]

Hey!

I've been walking and jogging now for about 45 minutes / 5 times a week for three months now. However, lately I've been getting horrible cramps in my calfs. I usually walk for 10 minutes as a warm-up, jog for 1.5 miles, then alternate between walking and jogging. I only start feeling my calves after I stop jogging the first time. Probably once a week I can actually get through the entire 45 minutes without being in pain, but the rest of the days I have to stop early.

I've been researching this and done everything the internet says about preventing calf cramps:
- stretching for 10 minutes before and after
- bought a new pair of shoes
- drink of liter of water an hour before exercising to prevent dehydration
- eat a banana for potassium and drink milk for calcium

Has anyone experienced this before? It's really discouraging and it HURTS!

Thanks!!!!

[ubergirl]

Yes, it happened to me, about ten years ago. I was on a brisk walking program and about ten or fifteen minutes into my walk, I would get HORRIBLE CALF CRAMPS-- so bad I couldn't keep walking. If I rested they would calm down, but I'd have to really slow down. I got so discouraged that I figured I was too fat to exercise and eventually gave up. I never found the cause and was embarrassed to ask.

Weirdly enough, now I NEVER get calf cramps.

The only thing I can think of was that I was quite anemic back then, which also caused a lot of other bizarre symptoms, like heart palpitations. If you haven't had yours checked lately, you might want to check it.

Besides that, I can't wait to see what others say-- when I had the problem I tried all of your methods too and none worked.

[Marie]

ccook, I used to get calf cramps when I'd swim (the pointing of the toes and kicking). I started chopping on tums 2-3X daily, taking potassium tablets and cranberry supplements (on the recommendation of my nutritionist sister). The Tums were because my ob/gyn had me eat them when I got the calf cramps when I'd ben pregnant. The potassium is a no brainer and the craberry tabs because of my sister. Last year, not one single leg cramp and it had been nearly daily all the years before. I'm hoping this year will be golden as well. I also stretch on a step, dropping the heels down and holding it, then slowly raising to tiptoe.
Marie