Do These Stretches for Foot Cramps and Find Relief

 

Whether you’re an athlete, a regular at the gym, or a regular joe, you’ve probably had a foot cramp. Foot cramps are usually temporary, but the pain can be excruciating in that short moment. 

After a foot cramp subsides, you probably forget about it, but sometimes they can cause a little more concern if they occur in clusters, one after another, in the same short period, or if you get cramps regularly in the same place in the same foot.

Don’t freak out if you’re experiencing foot cramps in clusters or regularly in the same area; you won’t lose a foot. However, you should know what leads to foot cramps like these and how to prevent them with exercises at home. Just keep reading, and we’ll teach you!

Why Do I Get Foot Cramps?

Let’s first discuss the causes of foot cramps to alleviate any potential concerns and answer your questions.

You Need More Electrolytes in Your Diet

When you read medical articles or talk to your doctor about nutritional deficiencies, you usually think about a vitamin deficiency that is treatable with a supplement. However, regarding this cause of foot cramping, we’re referring to a lack of electrolytes in your daily diet/food intake. 

Everyone needs a balanced electrolyte intake, including magnesium, calcium, sodium, and potassium. Sure, some individuals at risk of stroke or heart disease have to limit their sodium intake, but that doesn’t mean they should avoid it altogether; it is all about finding the right balance for your body’s individual needs. 

Foot cramping is a common sign of low electrolyte levels. Drinking pickle juice is one of the oldest traditional home remedies for cramping of any kind for a reason: pickle juice is chock-full of multiple essential electrolytes, and it works. A high dose of electrolytes is a quick and genuinely effective cramp remedy for so many American adults because, apart from sodium, our diets do not naturally have enough electrolytes. To prevent cramps and the need for quick fixes to replenish your electrolytes, ensure your daily diet includes electrolyte-rich foods like almonds, sweet potatoes, spinach, broccoli, and bananas.

You Don’t Drink Enough Water

All life on Earth needs water to thrive; people are no exception. If you are dehydrated, your body cannot perform essential functions, including proper distribution of nutrients like electrolytes. Your muscles also ache and cramp when you’re dehydrated because your body begins to draw fluid from the tissues that your muscles are made of to solve the problem. 

When the muscles in your feet (or anywhere in the body) cramp, increase your water intake and stay consistent. Most adults should drink at least 91 oz. of water daily, whether or not they’re cramping. 

You’re Overexerting Your Feet

Foot cramping is often caused by overworking the muscles and ligaments of the feet. People frequently don’t realize they’re overexerting when working out, running, or dancing until it is too late. To prevent overworking your feet muscles, take short breaks between workouts where you stand or use your feet to gauge how your feet feel. 

Are your legs shaking uncontrollably? Do your feet or legs feel weak or tired? Are you working out harder than usual? If you gently press your finger on your skin, does a pale spot linger on your skin for a second? Do your feet hurt or feel numb? Is there a tingling sensation in your feet? If you can answer yes to these questions, sit down and give your feet a rest until symptoms subside. 

Also, it is even easier to overexert your feet when you haven’t stretched them properly (or at all) before activity.

You Don’t Stretch Your Feet Properly (or At All)

Before you exercise, go on a walk, take a dance class, or do any strenuous activity where you’ll be on your feet, you must stretch the muscles in your feet.

Stretching the muscles in your feet (and anywhere on your body) is necessary before you put them to work. Stretching warms and relaxes your muscles’ stiffness and improves your range of motion, flexibility, and strength, all of which are necessary for preventing injuries.

Now, let’s discuss the best stretches for foot cramps that we recommend everyone try before and after exercising or engaging in other activities that require foot movement.

Best Stretches for Foot Cramps

Before you try the first of the following stretches for foot cramps, you need to warm up (yes, there’s a warm-up to the warm-up stretches if you want the best results and to decrease your risk of injury).

Warm Up

Let’s warm up step-by-step.

1. Start by sitting in a chair with your feet flat on the ground in the best posture without causing discomfort. Shorter individuals may need to sit with a pillow between their back and the chair.
2. With your left leg still flat on the floor, slowly raise your right leg to hover an inch above the floor (don’t overextend to get your leg higher; just keep it raised at a comfortable level). 
3. While hovering your right leg in the air, rotate your feet from the ankle down in a circular, counterclockwise motion 10-20 times, leading with your big toe. Repeat in a clockwise motion.
4. Repeat step three, but this time, do the two sets (one clockwise, one counterclockwise) of 10-20 rotations with your left leg in the air and your right leg on the ground. 

Calves

Your legs and feet have connected muscles. So, to stretch out your feet properly, it is wise to stretch the connecting calf muscles in your legs.

1. Find a blank wall
2. Extend your arms before you and place your hands palm-first on the wall.
3. With your hands still on the wall, step back with one leg into a basic lunge position.
4. While lunging, lean forward so that your knee on your front leg bends forward. Try not to bend your back leg too much; just lean forward with your weight, keeping your back leg’s foot flat on the ground. You should feel the muscles in your back leg stretching.
5. Swap legs and repeat.
6. Swap and repeat 5-8 times total.

Top of Feet

1. Stand up straight with your feet flat on the ground next to each other. 
2. Keeping your left foot flat on the floor directly under you, curl the toes on your right foot under the front of your foot, toenails facing the floor.
3. Slowly and gently press your right foot into the ground so that the toes curling underneath gently press into the ground, stretching the top of your foot.
4. Hold for up to a minute.
5. Repeat on the other side.

 

Bottom of Feet

1. Stand up straight with your feet flat on the ground next to each other.
2. Keep one foot flat on the floor, and arch your other foot on the floor so your toes are on the ground and your heel is in the air facing behind you (like you have on an invisible high-heel shoe only on that foot).
3. Slightly bend your knees so the top of your arching foot stretches over your toes.
4. Hold for up to a minute.
5. Swap to your other foot and repeat the steps.

Thanks for reading today’s blog! We hope that this guide provides you with the at-home treatment tips and stretches for foot cramps that you were searching for. If your foot cramps persist (or worsen) after you try these suggestions for relief, or if you’re looking for relief and answers for another foot condition, you need a podiatrist. 

If you’re looking for a podiatrist in Birmingham, AL, please contact our staff at Foot Specialists of Birmingham today! We’ll gladly help you set up an appointment with our incredible team of podiatry experts and nursing assistants who are certified by the American Society of Podiatric Medicine.