Have you ever been in the middle of a workout or sporting event and got a muscle cramp? Or have you just gotten a muscle cramp in your sleep?

Why do muscle cramps happen and what can you do to prevent and relieve them?

Muscle cramps happen when there is an imbalance in the minerals that help your body regulate your fluids. These minerals are sodium and potassium. As you sweat, you lose these minerals, and the muscles go into spasm.

To prevent muscle cramps, drink electrolyte-rich (electrolytes are sodium and potassium) drinks before and during exercise. One of the best natural electrolyte-rich drinks is coconut water.

Another cause of muscle cramps is magnesium deficiency. Muscles need calcium to contract, but they need magnesium to relax. If there is an imbalance between the amount of calcium and the amount of magnesium, your muscles can’t relax, and you go into spasm. To prevent this, ensure you are getting enough magnesium. So you can either use magnesium supplements, or you can eat foods rich in magnesium (which include halibut, cooked spinach, pumpkin and squash).

Now let’s say that you already have a muscle cramp. Prevention is too late. What do you do now?

The solution is extremely simple. Just contract the muscle opposite the one that’s cramping. So if you get a muscle cramp in your calf, contract the muscle on the front part of your shin (the tibialis anterior). If you get a muscle cramp in your abdominals, contract the lower back muscles. If you get a muscle cramp in your chest, contract the back muscles.

You see, muscles work in opposites. There is a law called “reciprocal inhibition.” This means that when one muscle contracts, the muscle opposite the offending muscle has to relax (otherwise, no motion would occur).

Contract the muscle opposite the cramping muscle long enough for the muscle cramp to go away (which usually takes less than 15 seconds).

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Did you miss my talk? Watch it on Youtube.

On May 3, I gave a talk at a great networking event, called “Crazy Networking.” The talk was about the connection between your body fat and your hormones. The video is only 13 minutes, and you can check it out here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V92wUegHpsU

After watching the video, please click the thumbs up button, and leave a comment below the video. If you have any questions, post them in the comments section, and I’ll answer them.

Fitness Solutions Plus is hiring

We are happy to say that business is good, and we’re always looking to make it even better.

As part of our expansion, we have 2 openings for salespeople:

The first opening is for a door-to-door salesperson. This person would sell personal training on commission.

The second opening is for a salesperson for corporate wellness programs. We are looking to expand into the corporate arena, so this person would be responsible for finding the decision maker, and selling our corporate services (which include lunch and learns, on-site personal training and small group training, as well as others).

So if you or someone you know is:

  • An excellent salesperson
  • Reliable
  • Can work with quotas
  • Loyal

Both positions offer:

  • Great working environment
  • Good pay
  • Potential for growth
  • Potential for professional development
  • Networking opportunities

Please get in touch with us either by emailing us at [email protected] or call us at 647-271-8672.

Life2 New Site

I’m a strong supporter of Life2, which is an educational group in Richmond Hill. Every Wednesday evening, they bring guest speakers about a variety of different topics. They launched their website very recently, so check it out: http://www.mylife2.com

Until next week,

Igor.

647-271-8672

www.torontofitnessonline.com

 

500 Denison St.,

Markham, ON