How to Deal with Muscle Cramps when Mountain Climbing
Muscle cramps are characterized by the temporary contractions of the muscles which typically occurs during physical activities. It is a distracting experience especially if you feel itduring your well-planned mountain climbing adventure. The following are just some of the ways in dealing with those stubborn cramps.
Understanding cramps
Understanding cramps is the best way to deal with it. As the cliché goes, “prevention is better than cure.” A cramp is a result of fatigue and over exertion of the muscle. This often occurs when you are involved in strenuous activities such as mountain climbing. It can also be due to the dehydration of the muscles wherein they lose nutrients and water that are essential for your muscles to function properly.
Preparing well before the climb
Be sure that you do proper warm-up and stretching exercises before and after climbing so your muscles will not stiffen due to sudden increase in activity level. Doing regular exercise is a good way to prevent cramps because muscles exposed to regular workout will be able to adjust better when exposed to more strenuous activities. You should also bring with you plenty of water since proper hydration can prevent the accumulation of acid due to the electrolyte imbalance in your muscles.
Treatment
When you experience muscle cramps during mountain climbing, the first thing that you must do is to stop walking. It will be better to massage the affected area. Massaging intensifies the flow of blood into the affected muscles and it also causes the removal of the catabolic products caused by the excessive muscle activity. It is also a good idea to take a warm shower if you have cramps but since you are in the mountains, make sure you have hot water with you or set up a fire and heat some water until it becomes warm enough for your skin to tolerate. A warm compress will contribute to bringing the tensed muscles back to their normal
cramps are not that frightening as they may seem because anyone can easily deal with them as long as a person has enough knowledge about the causes. If you know the causes of muscle cramps, you will know how to avoid experiencing one. More importantly before doing your outdoor activity, you must equip yourself with the proper first-aid tools that will be needed when dealing with muscle cramps.
Photo Credit : howieluvzuzs
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