You’ve been productive. Good for you! Maybe you watered the garden.
Maybe you took a gentle walk around the block. Maybe you decided that today was
the day to scrub the front porch steps because that moss was starting to look like
a shag carpet.

You come inside, feeling proud. You sit down in your favorite
chair. You go to stand up five minutes later,

And your calf seizes up like a fist. Or your thigh cramps so
hard you yelp loud enough to frighten the cat. What in the name of all that is holy
just happened?

You’ve met heat cramps. They are not polite. They do not
send a warning card. They just arrive, uninvited and dramatic, like a relative who
announces they’re staying for a week.

Here’s the science part, but I’ll keep it short. When you sweat
in the Dog Days, you lose not just water but also salt and potassium and magnesium.
Those little minerals are what your muscles use to relax after they contract. No
minerals? Your muscles forget how to let go. So they stay clenched in a hot, angry
knot. It hurts. It’s scary. And it’s completely avoidable.

Heat cramps usually hit the legs, calves, thighs, sometimes the
feet or belly. They Love to strike an hour or two after you’ve stopped moving. Just
when you thought you were safe. Sneaky, right?

Here’s how to send heat cramps packing.

Prevention (the boring but effective part):

• Salt
  is not the enemy (in moderation). During the Dog Days, a little extra salt,
  a sprinkle on your scrambled eggs, a few olives, a glass of tomato juice, helps
  your body hold onto the water you’re drinking. Check with your doctor if you’re
  on a low-sodium Diet, but for most seniors, a tiny bump in salt during heat
  waves is actually helpful.
• Bananas
  are your friend. One banana a day keeps the cramp-monster away. Or an orange.
  Or a handful of nuts. Anything with potassium or magnesium.
• Water
  alone isn’t enough. If you’ve been sweating for hours, reach for something
  with electrolytes. No need for fancy neon sports drinks. Coconut water, a glass
  of milk, or even a small glass of pickle juice (yes, again!) works beautifully.

What to do when a cramp hits (because they will still try):

• Stop. Do
  not walk it off. Do not stretch aggressively. Stop.
• Gently
  massage the muscle. Imagine you’re kneading bread dough, but with more swearing
  allowed.
• Apply a
  warm towel (not hot) or take a gentle warm bath. I know that sounds backwards,
  why warm when you’re hot? But the heat helps the muscle relax. Cold can make
  it clamp tighter.
• Drink something
  with salt and sugar. A half-teaspoon of salt and a spoonful of honey in a glass
  of water. It tastes like tears and regret, but it works in fifteen minutes.

If the cramps last more than an hour, or if you’re also nauseous
or dizzy, call your doctor. That’s not a simple cramp anymore; that’s heat exhaustion
trying to move in.

Otherwise, give your muscle a little pep talk. “Thank you for
your service. Now let go, please.” And then tomorrow? Drink that extra glass of
water before you scrub the porch. The moss can wait. Your calves cannot.

Originally Published on https://boomersnotsenior.blogspot.com/

Royce Shook Blogger

I served as a teacher, a teacher on Call, a Department Head, a District Curriculum, Specialist, a Program Coordinator, and a Provincial Curriculum Coordinator over a forty year career. In addition, I was the Department Head for Curriculum and Instruction, as well as a professor both online and in person at the University of Phoenix (Canada) from 2000-2010.

I also worked with Special Needs students. I gave workshops on curriculum development and staff training before I fully retired