We bet, the thought of a muscle cramp makes you cringe. So how is a muscle cramp caused? To put in simple terms, it is a strong contraction or tightening of a muscle that happens in instant. Extremely painful, it can last for few seconds or go up to several minutes. The muscle does not relax, which is why you experience such acute pain. Not hard to notice, a muscle cramp often causes the involved muscle to harden.

Most people experience a muscle cramp at least sometimes in their life. It is a common condition and can happen due to several reasons. The most common reason being extreme pressure being exerted on the muscle due to a rigorous workout.

If you are constantly at the receiving end of excruciating pain due to constant muscle cramps, here are certain things you can do to avoid them.

Drink enough water – It is true, water is the remedy to most health problems. You must ensure that your body is well hydrated at all times. The losses as much fluid and replenishing it with water will keep the muscles from contracting.

Avoid popping pills – Constant consumption of medicines, birth control pills, steroids, etc. can affect the muscle cramp. You should try and minimize the intake of these medicines as much as possible.

Limit smoking and alcohol intake – Smoking and drinking cause lack of blood circulation to the muscles. The legs especially fall prey to the effects of bad circulation. Regular smoking can lead this to aggravate thereby making muscle cramps extremely painful.

Healthy food intake – Your body is a reflection of the food you eat. Make sure that you eat food that is healthy and gives your body enough vitamins, calcium, etc. Avoid eating greasy foods that generous on oils and fatty acids.

Prescribed multivitamin tablets – It is possible that the natural foods you eat may not provide your body with all the required vitamins. Ask your doctor to prescribe you multivitamin tablets that you can take every day. This is help in the deficiency thereby controlling muscle contraction.

Go gym easy – If you hit the gym, take your time and go slow on the workouts. Lifting weights and stressing other parts of your body can lead to your muscle reacting in the form of cramps. You have to first condition your body to exercise a little, before doing a full-fledged workout.

Keeping these factors in mind and you will be able to effectively avoid cramps and the pain.