Bad leg cramps

[Donna]

I am a diabetic and i also take a thyroid medication, so i exercise mostly everyday to keep blood sugars good and the extra weight that i gain so easily at bay...

 

However, lately i have been getting the worst leg cramps when i do stretches or stretching exercises such as yoga...I take a magnesium/calcium supplement everyday, but it doesn't seem to help...My doctor just recommends to stop the exercising, but, what kind of advice is that? I need to exercise to stay functional...

 

Anyone ever have this kind of problem and is there anything i can do to make them go away? I just started this yoga thing, so maybe once i get a bit conditioned to the moves, will they stop?

[quankanne]

but do you use footwear when you do your yoga stretches? being flat-footed, if I wear shoes with a lack of support, Imy legs start cramping by day's end, and I end up having to wear sneakers to work to remedy that problem.

 

also, what level of intensity is your workout? I've been told by diabetes education counselors to start out with very moderate exercise for a brief period of time every day, then gradually increase the amount of time. this, I'm guessing, helps build up stamina, as well as conditions your body to exercise.

 

if you've got a resource like a diabetes education center at the hospital where your doctor is at, check with the dietician and nurse there to see if this is common among diabetics, and what they recommend. Might be something simple like eating an extra piece of fruit with potassium just before you begin your exercising.

 

oh, and if someone tells you pickle juice is a good remedy for cramps, don't believe them. maybe for killing cravings for sweets, but not the cramp thing!

[Donna]

Thanks for the reply, i do wear good support runners, they cost a small fortune...I do not work out at a high intensity anymore, the eye specialist scared the heck out of me by explaining about potential eye ulcers and having those break...

 

I power walk alot, and i do floor exercises such as leg lifts and crunches, etc and i do lift light weights...

 

But i want to tone and define my tree stump shaped legs, they are strong, just not shapely like they used to be and i was told yoga could help this...

 

Pickle juice, eh? I thank you for the info, but i highly doubt i would try that anyhow...

 

Oh well, i will just continue on and see if they go away with time...Maybe i am just getting old, hehehe...

[Ryan]

I am a diabetic and i also take a thyroid medication, so i exercise mostly everyday to keep blood sugars good and the extra weight that i gain so easily at bay...

 

Why do you believe that whatever daily "exercise" you are participating in is regulating your blood sugar and/or expending much in the way of calories? I would like to know what it is you do and what effects you assume it is having. I'd like to evaluate your exercise goals and put you on an effective system for those goals.

 

 

However, lately i have been getting the worst leg cramps when i do stretches or stretching exercises such as yoga...I take a magnesium/calcium supplement everyday, but it doesn't seem to help...My doctor just recommends to stop the exercising, but, what kind of advice is that? I need to exercise to stay functional...

 

Well, my first thought is that yoga is not exercise. A supplemental stretching routine can be useful, but in itself it is very poor for improving the areas of general fitness. My second thought is inadequate hydration - this can cause cramping. It is also possible you have an electrolyte imbalance or deficiency.

 

One of the primary problems with any stretching routine is that people often do them "cold." That is, they simply begin stretching and pushing the limits of their muscular and joint range. This is a bad idea. Starting from a relaxed state to immediate extension (and beyond) can cause microtrauma. There's no period where blood flow can increase and muscular activity can build up to be prepared for proper stretching. This is why stretching should be done as a supplement to exercise and FOLLOWING exercise, such that the muscle structures are properly "warmed."

 

Another issue is that stretching can improve flexibility, but it does nothing for muscular strength through the current and new ranges of motion. A joint that has range but poor strength to support it will increase the risk of injury. What you may be experiencing is a lack of muscular strength through most, if not all, of the stretching motion you are attempting to do. This can also cause cramping.

[Donna]

Thanks for the reply, i am a type 1 diabetic and i have been told that increased muscle mass and density can help the insulin i inject work faster and more efficiently...

 

I do tend to dehydrate, i am constantly sipping water all day long as opposed to drinking a full glass at once periodically...

 

I am trying to increase my strength, i do some weight bearing exercises, but not every day, mostly every second day...What sort of exercise would you recommend for thick, gramma looking legs?

 

I never stretch my muscles cold, i usually do that after the exercise session, when they are nice and loose...

 

The aggravating part is if my sugars are too high, i feel weak and shaky, and if they are too low, same...I usually will eat some sort of carbohydrate before working out, if i don't i can put my blood sugar to the ground and have a hypo episode ( which btw are pretty nasty and leave me feeling gross for days)...

 

So any and all advice you could give me will be deeply appreciated, as working out with these conditions is very different than when i worked out before...I have been diabetic for 4 and a half years and seems i just can't get my body shape back to how it once was...Thanks again

[Ryan]

Thanks for the reply, i am a type 1 diabetic and i have been told that increased muscle mass and density can help the insulin i inject work faster and more efficiently...

 

If it is increased muscle mass you seek, then the most efficient and effective approach is proper strength training. Don't worry, this doesn't mean you are going to have to try to bench press 300 pounds. It's a set of principles that can apply to anyone, resulting in the best activity for improving general fitness. I'll describe it more as we go.

 

 

I do tend to dehydrate, i am constantly sipping water all day long as opposed to drinking a full glass at once periodically...

 

Excellent...continue doing so.

 

 

I am trying to increase my strength, i do some weight bearing exercises, but not every day, mostly every second day...What sort of exercise would you recommend for thick, gramma looking legs?

 

Well, the first step is identifying what kind of equipment you have access to use. Typically it is difficult and not feasible by way of cost to train at home. If you are serious about making a lifestyle change and participating in a proper strength training program, you will probably need access to a gym with various types of equipment.

 

I will tell you this much...productive resistance exercise does not need to be done frequently. In fact, it is of necessity that it be done INFREQUENTLY. Why, you ask (and you should be asking why to anything anyone says)? Proper strength training does not directly improve your fitness. It does quite the opposite - it wears down your body and intrudes into the ability of your body to survive, stimulating it to adapt. Once that stimulation has been achieved, the body must be given adequate time, rest, and nutrition to do so. THAT is when the improvements are made. I am quite confident you would need to engage in strength training no more than 2x per week for about 30 minutes per session. This is not a gimmick, a fad, or a "great new discovery" a la late night infomercials. Everything is based on well-established principles of physiology and physics.

 

 

The aggravating part is if my sugars are too high, i feel weak and shaky, and if they are too low, same...I usually will eat some sort of carbohydrate before working out, if i don't i can put my blood sugar to the ground and have a hypo episode ( which btw are pretty nasty and leave me feeling gross for days)...

 

It will be up to you to carefully monitor your blood sugar, should you choose to engage in an exercise program via my guidance. It should not hinder your ability to perform, but it is a significant consideration that I am unable to supervise from this position.

[Gus]

Hi Donna,

 

I've heard 'doing it' on a chair in the bathtub works wonders..... could be hard on the tub, but does wonders for the psyche!!

 

Happy Day, Gus

[Donna]

HaHaHa, maybe that is what started them????? hehehe...Hi Gus, nice to see you...

 

 

For Ryan: I have one of those home gyms, with wieghts and pulleys, it has the leg lifts, the lat pull down, the chest fly and i also use free weights...

 

I don't know if i want to seriously train or not, i am just wanting to add some strength and muscle tone...I have thought of a gym and maybe later this fall i might look into that, but for right at this moment that is really an unfeasible option...

 

I know i can do this at home, because back 8 years ago, i was pretty overwieght, i was over 200 lbs and i lost it all through working out (it took almost 2 years, but i did it)...

 

Since then, i have had a baby, gotten thyroid problems and diabetes, i have not gone up too much in the wieght, but i have definitely lost tone, and it seems the things i did before are not quite cutting it...maybe i need to give it more time? I know the thyroid works against me, i have a really low metabolism now, or so the doctors all tell me so...

 

Is there any kind of exercise tape out there that you would say is a good one? I do have Gilads tapes, and a pilates tape that i work out to, so if you could advise me there i would be happy...

 

I realize that this is just a message board and you cannot really "train" me, and with the health problems that crop up with me, but there is so much information about fitness out there, and most of it is all so confusing to wade through...

 

When i do a leg curl standing up, my leg seizes up and i get a cramp right from the foot all the way up to the buttock muscle, sometimes it will lock like that for a minute or two? Why would that be, i used to do them all the time and never had that happen....is the muscle just weak?

 

Thanks again for all the good advice, i really really appreciate it!

[bunnybop]

I used to get bad leg cramps and someone told me to eat more salt. It worked.

[Ryan]

For Ryan: I have one of those home gyms, with wieghts and pulleys, it has the leg lifts, the lat pull down, the chest fly and i also use free weights...

 

My problem with most of those "home gym" systems is that they don't provide enough of the important strength training movements, which are the compound movements that target large amounts of muscle through multiple joints of movement. They are particularly deficient in the hip/thigh area, which are the 2 largest (and thus most important) muscle groups in the body.

 

 

I don't know if i want to seriously train or not, i am just wanting to add some strength and muscle tone...I have thought of a gym and maybe later this fall i might look into that, but for right at this moment that is really an unfeasible option...

 

If you don't want to do this seriously, then I can't help you. It's not something to be done for a few months. It's a lifestyle change that can change your life, but you have to be willing to commit to it.

 

 

Is there any kind of exercise tape out there that you would say is a good one? I do have Gilads tapes, and a pilates tape that i work out to, so if you could advise me there i would be happy...

 

The "tapes" are typically "aerobics" and the ilk, which is generally a waste of time. Mild, repetitive activity does very little to stimulate changes in general fitness. Pilates is one of the biggest marketing farces I've seen in a long time. It is totally targeted at women with misleading and impossible physiological claims that women typically WANT to hear.

 

Just for everyone's info, there are 5 areas of general fitness: muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardivascular ability, flexibility, and body composition. It becomes quite an interesting discussion when you identify each of these and evaluate various activities against these criteria.

 

I realize that this is just a message board and you cannot really "train" me, and with the health problems that crop up with me, but there is so much information about fitness out there, and most of it is all so confusing to wade through...

 

There's a ton of MISinformation out there that generally serves the purpose of making money. Just keep asking why....and if the source is trying to sell something.

 

 

When i do a leg curl standing up, my leg seizes up and i get a cramp right from the foot all the way up to the buttock muscle, sometimes it will lock like that for a minute or two? Why would that be, i used to do them all the time and never had that happen....is the muscle just weak?

 

Possibly weakness....possibly dehydration....possibly electrolytes (as you've heard from people mentioning potassium and salt)...possibly something else. If I had my way and I could get you to a decent facility, you would probably not be doing leg curls anyways.

[Donna]

So what should i look for in a gym? If you notice, i am in canadaI(yes, we do have a lot of gyms here), and i was in our local mall and they have a gym called sports medicine...it is specifically geared to people with various health problems and injuries ( i suspect it has a lot of physical therapists in there, whom i really don't trust all that well)...

 

It has been suggested to me to eat a banana before working out so i am going to try that and see what happens...

 

Thanks again for your time and wisdom, i really do appreciate it, i am serious about training, i didn't word that very well, what i meant to say was i am not interested in hard core body building, i just want to be as physically fit as i need to be to be strong and more healthy...

[Ryan]

So what should i look for in a gym? If you notice, i am in canadaI(yes, we do have a lot of gyms here), and i was in our local mall and they have a gym called sports medicine...it is specifically geared to people with various health problems and injuries ( i suspect it has a lot of physical therapists in there, whom i really don't trust all that well)...

 

The nice thing is that the type of equipment that a man should use is the same type of equipment that a woman should use is the same type of equipment that a rehabber should use is the same type of equipment someone dieting should use is the same type of equipment someone adding mass shoud use....I think you get the point.

 

Companies come out with all sorts of different gizmos and gadgets that supposedly offer various types of effects and stimulations. I always found this amusing because your muscles have no knowledge of WHAT they are working against - only that they must put forth some degree of effort. HOW you use a tool is much more important than what the tool is. People that come from my school of thought (known as HIT - High Intensity Training) use free weights and machines....but some also incorporate logs, big rocks, anvils, sandbags, and other heavy objects. Whatever it takes to push their bodies...they'll use it.

 

That being said, there are some things to watch for. Free weights tend to give you the greatest variety of things you can do (and places you can do them), but most compound free weight movements require time, practice, and guidance in order to develop proper FORM, since it is a (relatively) more skilled way to strength train. Machines are useful tools, but quality ones are only going to be found at gyms since they are too expensive for the typical home user. It can also require some searching to find machines that offer smooth and full ranges of motion. There are many out there that prove to be "sticky" when used in a proper (slow and controlled) fashion rather than heaved about. My personal favorite are made by a company called Hammer Strength. They are 100% as smooth as you want since they are bearing-based rather than pulleys/cables. They also allow you to put exactly as much weight as you want on them because they have plate-loading horns. Many of the machines with a weight stack and a pin that you use to select how much weight (oddly enough called selectorized machines) only go by 10 pound increments, which is too big of a jump. You want to be able to go at MOST 5 pound increments.

 

In general, look for a place that keeps their equipment clean. And don't pay any heed to the endless rows of hamster wheels, stairmasters, and other junk. You will not be needing any of them.

 

 

Thanks again for your time and wisdom, i really do appreciate it, i am serious about training, i didn't word that very well, what i meant to say was i am not interested in hard core body building, i just want to be as physically fit as i need to be to be strong and more healthy...

 

That's fine....I'm not into hardcore bodybuilding either. In fact, I generally despise the bodybuilding community for corrupting strength training into a freak show in which only egotistical, grunting men can participate. Everything I do and promote is for the purpose of health first - looks is a fortunate side effect.

[velvet]

I was taught that lack of sodium causes cramps and spasm's