Socks on, shoes laced, and you\u2019re out the door running\u2014literally. But about halfway into your\u00a0workout, it starts to creep up on you, and you know it\u2019s going to be painful. We\u2019re talking about those pesky calf cramps that come on without warning and just won\u2019t subside.<\/p>\n
While there can be a handful of reasons you\u2019re experiencing nagging calf pains, generally speaking, calf cramps happen because the muscles in the posterior chain, which include the glutes, hamstrings, and calves, aren\u2019t strong enough, and so the muscle goes into a spasm, or small contractions, if it\u2019s pushed too hard.<\/p>\n
These cramps generally happen at the beginning or the end of a run. Why? \u201cAt the start of a run, your muscle isn\u2019t warmed up, and at the end, chances are it\u2019s fatigued,\u201d Metzl says. These are two situations that leave the calf muscle extremely vulnerable. Uneven terrain can also cause cramps because it emphasizes the need for supporting muscles to activate.<\/p>\n
While it\u2019s tempting to just power through when you start to feel the pain, that\u2019s not always a good idea. If the pain is only mild, it\u2019s fine to try to shorten your stride and keep on running, explains Metzl. \u201cIf it feels more serious, I\u2019d recommend pulling over and stretching it out,\u201d he says. Try stretches such as downward dog, a lunging calf stretch, or standing bent-over toe touches, depending on what you\u2019re able to do without increasing the pain. Then you can try running on again.<\/p>\n
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