Why do my feet & legs cramp during Pilates?

Foot and leg cramps are fairly common when doing Pilates, they can be quite annoying when you’re trying to keep up with the movements can't they!

The truth is, there isn’t much conclusive research as to why the feet cramp.!

So what is Cramp?

A cramp (www.nhs.uk) happens when a muscles suddenly shortens and becomes tight and spasms, although the reasons are not clear.  Most cramps don’t last long and can be relieved by massage & stretching it out.

Causes

• aging
• over training with exercise
• pregnancy
• medication for lowering cholesterol
• not drinking enough water
• too much alcohol

​
 So what can we do?..

There are a few things that I’ve found to help prevent and relieve cramps during my Pilates session.

Warm up your feet: not with socks, but with movement.  Prior to starting a workout spend some time pointing and flexing your feet/ankles.

Relax your feet - It’s okay to relax your feet. If we over point or curl the toes it can lead to cramping. Try lengthening your toes, relaxing your feet, or even flexing (push through your heels) your feet if needed.

Hydrate –  little question to ask yourself.. have you drank enough water during the day?
We should all get into the habit of drinking water regularly throughout the day, (I also need to practice what im preaching her too!!) 
This week try and keep a bottle of water with you at all times for you to sip throughout the whole day.  
Remember don't just drink lots of water before you do your class, that won't work and you will just feel it sloshing around in your tummy during your exercises..!

When we experiencing a cramp it’s best to stretch it out until the spasm goes. 
Usually once it’s has gone there is no after effect.  Sometimes you might feel a little bit of muscle soreness, but this will soon go.

Thanks for reading 

Emma xo