Muscle Cramps Health Feed

 Walking is one of the best low-impact exercises, and it's also one of the cheapest and most convenient ways to get healthier; however, many Americans walk less than half of the daily recommended steps. Walking can reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer while reducing chronic pain and stress.

Warm up your body. Warming up your body by starting slowly when you walk will reduce over-exertion on your muscles. This can help you walk longer, and at a better pace. Try to warm up by walking slowly for five to 10 minutes at the beginning of the walk.

• This will loosen up your muscles and get them ready for exercise. To warm up do the following for 30 seconds each: Make circles with each ankle; swing each leg; make slow circles with your hips or legs; make arm circles; march in place, and swing your legs back and forth.
• Similarly, cool down at the end of your walk by slowing down for 5 to 10 minutes. After you cool down, stretch your muscles gently.
• Warming up properly can help you avoid walking injuries, such as strained muscles.

Improve your walking posture. When walking, try to use purposeful movements when you stride and pay attention to your posture. Make sure you have good, erect posture. Try to look 12-20 feet in front of you as you walk.

• Walk with your head up, while looking forward. Don’t look down at the ground constantly as you walk, which could strain your neck.
• Relax your neck, shoulders, and back. Although your posture should be strong, your body should not be held too stiffly as you walk.
• Swing your arms with a slight bend in the elbows if you want. Tighten your stomach muscles, and don’t arch your back forward or backward.

Walk heel to toe. When walking, you should step forward with your foot. Let your heel land on the ground in front of you. Then, roll your foot forward, transferring your weight to the ball of your foot. With your other foot, raise your heel, push your foot off the ground with your big toe, and repeat the first process.

• Walking is different from running. Your feet should never lift off the ground completely at the same time.
• Find a stride that's comfortable for you. If you're losing track of the heel-to-toe motion, and aren't rolling your feet consistently, you may need to slow down.

Straighten out your legs if you have tight hips or hamstrings. If you sit too much, you may have a tendency to always bend your knees while walking. This usually means that your hip flexors and hamstrings are too tight. As you walk, make a conscious effort to straighten out your legs.
Avoid hyperextending your knee. Hyperextending your knee means moving your knee backward slightly when standing or walking. Some people may have a natural tendency to hyperextend their knees, but hyperextending your knee can cause increased stress to your joints. When walking, be conscious of your knees to avoid hyperextending them.

• Maintain a slight bend in your knee when walking, especially if you're prone to hyperextending your knee when standing. This will feel strange at first, but eventually, your knees will adapt.
• Go slowly upstairs, moving in slow and deliberate motions.
• Avoid wearing heels too frequently, as this can encourage knee hyperextension.

Walk at a fast clip. To get the greatest health benefits from walking, try to walk at a slightly faster pace than a mere stroll. Strive to walk with quick, not long, steps.

• Walking should be a moderate-intensity aerobic activity. This means that you’ve broken a sweat and your heart rate has risen.
• How can you tell if you’re walking fast enough? You should be able to talk but not sing a song while you’re walking.
• Three miles per hour is a good pace if you’re walking to improve your health. If you’re walking to lose weight, pick up the pace to 4 miles in an hour, which is a 15-minute mile.

Make walking a habit. Try to build more walking into the course of your regular day whenever possible. If you get into a routine, you’ll soon see the steps and health benefits adding up.

Leg cramps is a very common condition which is characterized by tight and painful leg muscles. The calf muscles are the most commonly affected; it can spread further down to your thighs and feet. Once the cramping gets better, you might experience a tender leg coupled with a numbing feeling for a few minutes.

The causes of leg cramps are varied. If it is caused due to an underlying condition, it is known as secondary leg cramps. The causes of secondary leg cramps include vigorous exercises, pregnancy and usage of certain medications. The cramps cause the muscles of the leg to shorten and contract, thus making you lose control of the affected muscle.

How can homeopathy help?

Homeopathy is a system of medicine which is very holistic in nature. The goal of homeopathy is to focus on the causes of a disorder rather than just curing the symptoms. Homeopathic remedies do not yield any side effect unlike the conventional treatments. Apart from treating the symptoms, homeopathic remedies also help improve your overall wellbeing.

There are many homeopathic remedies that can be used to treat leg cramps. The remedies are focused on treating any underlying condition that may be causing these leg cramps, apart from relieving the symptoms. The first step of the treatment is to diagnose the condition, which is done by a trained practitioner. You will be asked questions pertaining to the cramps and your diet. Once the diagnosis is complete, the medications are prescribed based on the diagnosis.

There may be certain dietary restrictions that you may have to follow for the medicines to work at their optimum best. This system of medicine might also require you to not carry out any form of heavy work that involves the legs as rest is required to boost the process of recovery.