Need advice on bad cramping when doing crunches (pregnant, cold, skin)

[foma]

Anytime I do abdominal crunches, I cramp pretty badly. I'm like scared to do them now. Today, I used one of those machines at the gym and it happened again. Three other times before that (in the span of 3 years) I had done good ol' fashion crunches and I cramped then, too. I need to do them but I'm scared of the muscle cramps ... they hurt like crazy! Any advice?

Oh yeah, and does anybody know why it happens? I haven't done crunches consistently since college (9 years ago) so hubby thinks it's b'c my ab muscles are very weak. This totally sucks!

[DocGSD]

You need to work out that portion of your body for a while before you go back to crunches. Muscles take time to build and abdo excercises can strain easy if not relaxed. Crunches are a big workout when you dont excercise them regularly. Start out with a few crunches or som mid body workouts before you go back to crunches. If that dosent help you out, then well..... i dunno...

[foma]

So what you are suggesting is to do the crunches sporadically? Like a few one day, take a couple days off, a few more the next time etc. until I can build my tolerance?

[DocGSD]

Originally Posted by foma

So what you are suggesting is to do the crunches sporadically? Like a few one day, take a couple days off, a few more the next time etc. until I can build my tolerance?

More improtantly build up to the crunches. Do a mid body workout and then slowly move up to crunches. A marathon runner doesnt start out a distance runner, he starts small and builds up. If your out of shape, work in to it. Crunches are stressfull on muscle groups. Do something else for a while to build it up.

[yellowsnow]

Also make sure you are getting enough calcium, magnesium, and vit D! Especially if you are female.

[tiffela74]

warm up first!! then start em out in really small numbers, after a few, roll over and do a cat stretch (lay on your stomach, feet/legs togeather, put your hands down by your sides, then stretch up, straight arms, and lean back, like a kitty stretching. - make sure do warm down at the end too.
dont jug too much water, especially cold water, just before either..
good luck!
Tiffany

[dennis s]

Originally Posted by yellowsnow

Also make sure you are getting enough calcium, magnesium, and vit D! Especially if you are female.

good advise. Add potassium to that mix and also, never take more than 400iu of vit. D per day.

If I don't do abs for a while and then start up again I get cramping too. I do one day on and one day off.

The above mentioned suppliments are the best thing for muscle spasms or "cramping".

[foma]

Thanks for all the advice y'all. Yesterday I did 80 crunches but in 20 increments and had no problem. The time b4 that, I did 60 crunches in one sitting and that's when the cramping started. I guess your advice helped! I should start looking into supplements, too. I been drinking a glass of milk every morning lately and putting it in my smoothies for dinner at night but I'll definitely look magnesium ... maybe a multi-vitamin or something. Thanks again folks!

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by dennis s

never take more than 400iu of vit. D per day.

Researchers want the RDA for vitamin D to be raised above 400iu. Apparently, large percentage of the population is deficient.

It takes a huge amount of vitamin D to overcome a deficiency.

My doctor has me on 50,000iu per week.

Even pregnant women who take a prenatal vitamin still give birth to babies who are deficient in vitamin D because the prenatal vitamin doesn't correct a vitamin D deficiency.

Since high vitamin D is dangerous, nobody should increase it without a doctor. Blood levels need monitored.

The interesting thing is that some doctors are recommending that vitamin D be checked quarterly---and suppliments be adjusted on a routine basis throughout the year---as a standard for routine medical care of the general population.

Interesting stuff out there about vitamin D. Just do some google searches and you'll find all sorts of reputable sources on the subject.

Originally Posted by foma

I been drinking a glass of milk every morning lately and putting it in my smoothies for dinner at night

Two servings of milk per day is not enough vitamin D to meet RDA.

If you've only just started drinking milk lately, you probably are deficient.

I highly recommend you having your doctor test you for a vitamin D deficiency. You can't correct it on your own.

You help can boost your vitamin D by spending time in the sun---without sunscreen. A fair skinned person needs 20 minutes per day. A dark skinned person needs much more time in the sun to get vitamin D. I can't remember the exact increase---like an 1-1/2 hours per day. It is actually being recommended that dark skinned women need 2000iu of vitamin D per day because they don't get enough from the sun.

The current 400iu RDA is based on a portion of our vitamin D coming from the sun. But many people don't spend much time in the sun----or they are using sunscreen which blocks vitamin D from being absorbed in the skin.

Originally Posted by foma

but I'll definitely look magnesium ... maybe a multi-vitamin or something. Thanks again folks!

Be careful! It sounds like you're body is already imbalanced. If you do the wrong thing, you could make it worse. Different vitamins and minerals work with one another---to balance each other. If you raise your magnesium and your magnesium is already high, you'll get worse. If your calcium is low, your magnesium might be high---taking magnesium won't be the answer.

Low calcium can also cause the symptoms you're having. If you only started increasing your milk intake to one or two glasses per day recently, your vitamin D and calcium are probably your problem. You need vitamin D in order to take in calcium. Cheese doesn't have vitamin D so you're not getting the calcium from cheese if you don't have enough vitamin D.

If you insist on trying to fix this without consulting your doctor, you would be best to take a calcium/vitamin D suppliment, increase your sun exposure (only 20 minutes per day if you're fair skinned---you dont' want to increase risk of skin cancer), and continue putting vitamin D and calcium in your body via your diet.

Viactiv is a good vitamin D/calcium suppliment. It contains 500iu calcium and 200iu vitamin D (and vitamin K too) so your body can absorb the calcium. To meet daily requirements, you take TWO per day. Here's a link: http://www.viactiv.com/products/inde.../softchews.inc

I'm trying to warn you about magnesium. I went through the same thing you're going through. I did some research and stupidly thought magnesium was the problem. One day on magnesium suppliments (normal dosage) and parts of my body started VIBRATING. That was clearly a clue that my body didn't need more magnesium.

The doctor found my vitamin D deficiency and it made perfect sense because I hadn't been drinking much milk over the past few years. I was eating cheese---never realized vitamin D isn't in cheese. So my vitamin D is deficient and my calcium is insufficient.

I recommend you play it safe and see a doctor.

[Hawkeye48]

Have you injured your abdominals in the past? Perhaps you just need to just ease into it better. Another thing is to be sure to hydrate before you exercise.