Stretching before exercise can help reduce the risk of muscle cramps.
According to Medicine Net, approximately 95 percent of all people experience the pain of a muscle cramp at least once in their lifetime. Cramps occur throughout the body when a muscle contracts but does not relax. These cramps can occur after a bout of exercise, because of dehydration, a shift in bodily fluids or low blood calcium. Several home remedies or techniques are effective at relieving a muscle cramp.
Instructions
1. Set a hot towel on top of the cramping area and allow it to remain for 15 minutes. The heat of the towel helps relieve the cramp. Remove the towel and attempt to move the muscle.
2. Consume a banana. A lack of potassium can cause muscle cramps, and bananas are a natural source of potassium.
3. Massage the area in question for three to five minutes. Work the muscles in a circular motion to help the muscle relax.
4. Fill a bathtub three-quarters of the way with hot water and add one satchel of black mustard seeds and two cups of Epsom salt to the water. Stay in the bathtub for at least 15 minutes but no longer than 30 to allow the mustard seeds and hot water to ease the cramp.
5. Bend your knee slightly and place all of your weight onto the sore leg if you are suffering from a cramp in the leg, which is also known as a charley horse. This stretching helps relax the muscle.
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