Swimming burns calories, what to do if you get cramps in the water

　　Swimming is a sport exercise Cardiopulmonary function is very helpful. It can also burn calories and help shape a slender body. However, it will be very troublesome if cramps occur during swimming. If you cannot adjust or rescue in time, severe cramps may even lead to drowning, which is life-threatening.

　　Cramps during swimming are usually caused by the water temperature being too low and insufficient warm-up before entering the water. In addition, staying in the water for too long, moving too much, too fast, etc. can also lead to muscle coordination disorders and cramps. If you get cramps in the water, what should you do to ensure safety and get out of danger? Here are some solutions to common cramps in swimming.

　　What should I do if I get cramps while swimming?

　　1. Cramps in upper limbs:

　　If it is a finger cramp, first clench your hand into a fist, then open it forcefully, and repeat this quickly several times； If there is a cramp in the palm of your hand, use the other palm to press the cramped palm hard, and at the same time make trembling movements ； If you have arm cramps, clench your fist while bending your elbow as much as possible, and then straighten it. Repeat this for several times to relieve the pain.

　　2. Muscle cramps in the front of the thigh:

　　First take a deep breath, lie on your back in the water, bend the cramped leg, hold the calf with both hands or one hand, fold the calf and thigh tightly together, and try to keep the thigh as close to the chest as possible. Then let go of your hands, straighten and spread your legs, and repeat this many times until the cramp is eliminated.

　　3. Muscle cramps in the back of the calf:

　　First stand firm in the shallow water, quickly stand up and sit on the shore, or take a deep breath and lie down on your back in the water. Hold the toes of the cramped leg with the hand on the opposite side of the cramped leg and pull it back behind you. Press the knee of the cramped leg with the hand on the same side and keep the leg as straight as possible until the cramping sensation disappears.

　　All in all, no matter where you get cramps during swimming, don’t panic. Try to get yourself to the shore first and relieve the cramps by reverse stretching, massaging, or keeping local warmth on the cramped parts.

　　For cramps during swimming, you should warm up before entering the water. Doing a few sets of simple movements can avoid cramps.

　　1. Target the calf gastrocnemius:

　　Stand with one foot in front and one foot behind, lean against the wall, bend your front legs, and keep your back heels straight on the ground, so that the muscles on the back of your calves can feel a significant stretch.

　　2. Targeting the soleus muscle of the calf:

　　Face the wall, keep your balance with your hands on the wall, place one foot behind the other, keep the toes parallel to the heels of your front feet, bend your knees slightly, and feel a stretch above your back ankles.

　　3. Targeting the plantar fascia at the bottom of the foot:

　　Stand on tiptoes with your back against the wall, keeping your arches and spine as straight as possible to stretch your toes.

　　Not only swimming, but also various other sports require proper warm-up to move all parts of the body to allow for better exercise. After all, swimming is a sport in the water. Some people are naturally afraid of water. We should pay more attention to warming up before entering the water and deal with cramps rationally to avoid panic when an accident occurs. When choosing a swimming pool, you should also choose a regular swimming pool with safety guards to look after you to ensure your own safety.