With the Boston Marathon approaching there’s no better time than to talk about muscle cramps!

As a massage therapist I volunteer to do post event massage for the runners. One for the most common problems I see are muscle cramps. Whether you’re a Marathon runner or just a regular gym-goer muscle cramps can be debilitating.

They usually start due to an imbalance in your body i.e low potassium, low sodium or dehydration. So if you’re one to get muscle cramps during a workout or in the middle of the night, perhaps eating a banana or having something salty could help prevent them. Of course keeping hydrated is also always important!

The best way to stop a muscle cramp from happening is to contract the opposing muscle group. For example if your calf starts cramping then place resistance on your toes and push up into the resistance. This will relieve the cramp and allow the muscle to calm down. If all else fails, place direct pressure onto the cramping muscle and hold it until it’s gone.

Good luck to all the marathon runners!