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Avoiding Muscle Cramps ...things I have learned ...the hard way

DormouseAtRest_25

Avoiding Muscle Cramps ...things I have learned ...the hard way

aka: bemoaning the gap in the market for really decent, safe, neurodivergent-suitable exercise ideas, options and problem-solving guidance.

Still hunting for good practice suggestions!

(This is not medical advice ...rather, my combined lived experience journal - gained from doing it "wrong" for far too many decades - as a result of being in receipt of ill-informed guidance - and now, I am trying to cut my own better-informed path towards avoiding the regular misery - daytime / nighttime - incurred through severe, lifelong, muscle cramps / spasms).

Managing muscle cramps involves a combination of gentle stretching, nervous system regulation, and lifestyle adjustments to avoid triggering muscle spasms.

Exercises should be gentle and tailored to avoid overexertion, which can trigger further cramps.

Examples Of Potential Gentle Exercises & Stretches for Dealing With Cramps;

Gentle Yoga & Yin Yoga: Specifically helpful for reducing muscle tightness without high-intensity stress. (Challenge: poor interoception / proprioception / vestibular, plus alexithymia really do not contribute to elegant group yoga session participation. Also, other fabulous Autism traits mean indoor / hot and humid / airless environments are my nemesis ... therefore, weather-permitting, outdoors is the way to proceed!).

Pilates: Recommended for maintaining strength without overtaxing the system. (Challenge: Pilates "machines" equipment sre a no-no, for me, as my hands are muscle-cramp/spasm-central. This doesn't strike whilst using the equipment, but later that day / the following day when it makes eating your meal - via gripping your knife and fork / chopsticks ...a painful / awkward / regression to instant toddler mode! Looking for YouTube video suggestions for beginner Pilates ideas to be practiced at home).

Walking or Swimming: Low-impact aerobic activities help keep the body moving without causing severe muscle strain. (Challenge: walking is my most accessible / successful exercise mode. I do find it necessary to under-dress for the weather when walking - carrying extra layers in a rucksack to don when I pause during a drink / snack. If I get my temperature control "wrong"; my hands swell and my face is beetroot - even though I feel absolutely fine, respiration is happy and I have zero cardiac issues - just plain "weird". Although, I love swimming, I have given it up -as my leg cramp is too much and I end up floating for ages in a Maltese Cross - until it passes - thereby, unhelpfully freaking out even pre warned Lifeguards, plus, my skin reacts too badly for days afterwards ...which is miserable itchy - but less so; on the rare chances I have to swim in the sea).  

Calf Stretches: Stand facing a wall, leaning forward with one leg back and heel on the floor to stretch calf muscles. (Challenge: I can get cramp doing this - if it kicks-off - I find it more successful to persevere - but stepped away from the wall, feet level and shoulder-width apart. The alternative is gentle bicycle / static cycle work instead).

Qigong & Breathing Exercises: These help manage nervous system activity and reduce the stress that can lead to muscle tightness. (Challenge: when Qigong work goes well, it is great. However, I have, thankfully rarely, experienced neck cramp - pulls tongue too. I now can deal with this as a mind-game - a bit like free-diving. Two other issues - I have never managed to sustain Qigong work beyond 45 minutes per session, plus, if you experience an auditory shock mid-session all fight / flight systems go instantly "DEFCON 1" - well, I never professed to be "good" at it - Autism still rules OK?).

Resonant Breathing: Aim for 5 seconds in and 5 seconds out to help calm the nervous system.

Important Precautions: High-intensity exercise, for me, can easily trigger cramp. (Challenge: I used to enjoy running - but never jogging - so I have abandoned running. Was never "good" at it - but in common with cycling - running used to provide good proprioception input. I have tried warm jogger leggings - my next experiment will be trying walking / hiking in runners knee-length compression socks - if that goes well perhaps running might be the second experiment?).

Temperature Regulation: Avoid overheating, as heat is a common trigger. Exercise in a cool environment, use misting sprays, or wear breathable clothing. (Challenge: you know the first rule from the film "Fight Club"? Well, I strongly suspect the equivalent neurodivergent exercise-avoiding-cramp mantra ought to be: "temperature, temperature, temperature". Get this "wrong" ...and btw it can really vary in a dynamic disability manner, from one session to the next one; and you may as well just bunk-off / play truant / go AWOL ...time for an early coffee ...just pack a book too and gracefully accept that re-plan of your day!). 

Avoid Triggers: Watch out for gym environments with strong, scented cleaning products or off-gassing rubber floors. (Challenge: I recently stood outside the front doors of a leisure centre / gym / swimming pool - as I was early for a session and wanted to avoid the noisy indoor environment while I waited. Epic fail. Every time the doors opened and someone walked outside - super-"fresh" from their shower and fragrance ...I got gassed into nausea mode. Autistic folk; do not loiter / lime near sports facility doors - you have been informed ...I am sure there ought to be a Baz Luhrmann lyric line on that topic - think of the song "Everybody's Free").

Stay Hydrated: Ensure adequate water intake, as dehydration can worsen cramps. (Challenge: many pundits will leap to promote electrolytes when you mention muscle cramps. While that is not a daft conversation - I do believe "hydration" - and the "right" type, volume and frequency for you and your particular day's activity level is often the more basic challenge for Autistic adults. It is not a given that we all reliably "know" when we are thirsty. I use smartphone pre-planned calendar notifications to nudge me into my next beverage break. For me, bookended around exercise - the drinks of choice are: tap water / milk. For me, the water is my prep and the milk is my repair. If milk is not an option e.g. due to climate / storage I would pair my "repair" water with some fruit and nuts to hopefully aid the rapid absorption of the water. Only once the "bookends" are suitably onboard ...would I graduate to a longed for coffee / tea - thereby, soothing the soul too!).

This is the sum total of my best endeavour - that which I have gleaned so far in life (re: how to exercise avoiding cramp - bad enough to mean multiple daytimes-worth of recovery / also being regularly awoken from deep sleep to find; both feet / legs are locked into painful "static stump mode". How to pick up a mug of coffee when your thumb is stubbornly locked over to your little finger? Dunno, that is a work in progress!). 

However, I feel, for all my well-intentioned endeavour ...it is still woefully insufficient.  

Inconvenient, excruciating, damaging; hand and leg muscle damage, in particular, is my regular existence - across all of my lifetime.

 In my experience: GP's are generally never enthralled by this quest toward resolution ...I have totally given up mentioning it.

It can all make for a jolly-bonkers-MRI-saga though; with the: "remain completely still" - for ages ...muscles scream back at you: never! - or, "breath in and hold your breath" - and then the auditory-overwhelmed Autistic adult struggles to split out the later instruction of: "breathe normally" ...interoception is meanwhile asking of you: ...say, what? Cue: super-grumpy face - yeah, not surprising. Just concentrate on looking forward to something you actually like later on in the day.

Please do discuss; if you are similarly cramp-afflicted, or have some hints and tips to share about exercise types which you have found does not twang your muscles into an unofficial horror movie audition?

  • in reply to Phased

    I've never eaten them, I find something off puting about them and I don't know why? I mean I eat plenty of other flowers, like cauliflower and drink cammoile tea, but I can't seem to talk myself out of an almost instinctive mistrust.

  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    their flowers have a really good peppery salad taste too :-)

  • in reply to Phased

    Nastursiums as a sacrificial plant when grown with beans is good, 9 ot of 10 black fly will choose a nastursium to eat rather than a bean.

  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    I have moved on from Chamomile to Italian lager  so please excuse if my post shows this!  I have some fab poppies on my allotment too...  I agree such biochemistry is best treated with the utmost of respect.  Marigold I grow for the slugs and snails to eat as a sort of offering in front of the things I want them not to.  Lovely flowers too (and they taste good to me if I fancy a little snack in the garden :-)  As to antiseptic I do my best to lick my wounds myself or allow faithful hounds to do so.  Hehe alcohol does the trick too!! My hemlock reference was also to an old philosophers who took the easy way out to maybe help make a name for himself - I struggle with this choice myself from time to time, on that - so far so good!.  All the best!

  • in reply to Phased

    So many herbs are good for ailments and can be easily grown, like marigold petals as an anticeptic.

    I looked up a recipe for dwale the other day, one of the ingredients of that is hemlock. Dwale is an old potion used by herbalists as an anesthetic and pain killer, I wouldn't want to try it unless it was prepared by someone with far more skill than I

  • in reply to DormouseAtRest_25
    TL;DR: The Whole-Body Matrix in Motion
    • The Matrix Bias: Your body can become "biased" toward the weight of a rucksack. When the bag is off, the nervous system must re-learn where the true centre is.
    • The Tai Chi Axis: Finding balance requires both Crown Up and Tail Down (sinking the tailbone). This vertical alignment is the foundation of the entire biomechanical matrix.
    • System-Wide Adjustment: It isn't just the 29 muscles of the foot or the calf and outer leg muscles (peroneals) that find Wu Chi—it is a matrix-wide reflexive harmony from the feet to the crown.
    • Internal Pressure: Moving to the Microcosmic Orbit helps regulate internal air pressure, supporting the "hollow" parts of the body against gravity.
    The Full Reply
    Thank you for that thoughtful response. It’s wonderful to hear how those "Grandma-inherited" traits and your Kung Fu slippers have created such a solid foundation. Those thin soles allow the feet to "communicate" with the ground, providing the high-quality data your nervous system needs to keep your balance point (centre of mass) exactly where it should be.
    The Complexity of the Base
    It’s worth considering the sheer amount of adjustment taking place. Between the foot and lower leg, there are 29 different muscles constantly firing. This includes the large calf muscles at the back and the peroneal muscles on the outside of your leg that stabilise the ankle.
    However, it’s important to note that it isn’t just these muscles that "find" Wu Chi—the adjustment is matrix-wide. Every tissue from your soles to your scalp is participating in that reflexive search for balance. When we use thick arch supports, we "mute" the start of that chain, turning a dynamic, living system into a static one. In my experience, dynamic arch support is part of this internal matrix; if we can stimulate the reflexive activity in the feet, the whole body responds.
    The Rucksack and the Tai Chi Axis
    It is fascinating that you’ve conditioned your body to that 25L daysack. It reminds me of the practice of carrying water vessels on the head; it forces a "Crown Up" alignment that integrates the load into the vertical axis of the spine.
    Crucially, this is paired with the "Tail Down" concept (sinking the tailbone), which the practitioner in your video touched on when discussing "tucking under." This dual stretch—reaching up with the crown while sinking the tail—is fundamental to creating the Tai Chi Axis.
    The matrix can become biased towards a specific load, but by anchoring this axis, you ensure your centre of mass—in the bowl of the pelvis—subtends downwards correctly over the base of support whether you are carrying a bag or not.
    The Bagua and the Base of Support
    If you look at the framed image in the video, you’ll see the Bagua (the octagonal symbol). This is a perfect map for your footprint. In a perfect Wu Chi, we aim to centre our weight exactly in the centre of that Bagua map.
    Interestingly, if you watch the practitioner in the video closely, you can discern that their weight is actually falling predominantly into their right heel—roughly "South East" on the map. It shows that even for experts, the "middle way" is a constant, living adjustment across the whole matrix.
    The Internal Atmosphere
    I wonder if you’ve come across the importance of breathing in this art? Moving from abdominal breathing toward the Microcosmic Orbit is a key part of our structural integrity. Because the body is "hollow" in many aspects, regulating internal air pressure helps support the matrix from the inside, countering the effects of gravity and external loads like your rucksack.
    Dynamic Mastery
    As you’ve found, this isn't just about standing still. Wu Chi is the foundation for dynamic balance. Whether you are walking, climbing, or reaching, the goal is to carry that same "neutral gear" with you. If you can keep your Tai Chi Axis aligned while moving, you prevent the over-firing in those calf and outer leg muscles that leads to the "residue" of tension later on.
    I’m still coming at this from my experience as a physio and my time in the movement arts. Keeping a foot in both camps—the science and the art—is the best way I know to keep the body from seizing up!
    If any of these "basics" spark more curiosity, do feel free to ask. I'm happy to explore these patterns further with you.
    Best wishes and happy pottering.
  • in reply to Phased

    Thank you for this thoughtful detail.

    You reminded be; as a small child: of me copying / body doubling my Grandma with active stretching - Grasping The Feet.  I think her physio had encouraged such moves for her benefit, at some stage, after an operation.

    With the Wu Chi stance in mind, indoors, at home, I prefer no shoes (likely another Grandma-inherited trait - neither ever having been UK winter slipper fans as adults!). 

    Outdoors, I prefer the Chinese black cotton Kung Fu style of slipper (with a very slim sole). 

    These strategies help me to be more aware of contact with the middle of my feet.  I have recently managed to source a replacement firm for my well-worn favourite pair of Black Cotton Kung Fu Style slippers.

    Over the years, I have found it helpful to compare demonstrated stance by male teachers with female teachers.  Each one imparts further points for consideration.  This is an example of a video clip I have found helpful:

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jO0Y8e9phHg

    Footwear choice in support of: walking / climbing / reaching is a serious business.  I have combined the respective help from a trusted chiropodist and a really patient ex-sports physio: to achieve, for only about the most recent 10 years; a more successful combination of suitable-to-me insole plus walking trainer.  Before that combo was achieved - my walking capability had become much more constrained.  Now I find I can devise and mechanically execute a walk with greater stamina confidence and not incurring foot damage.

    Some years ago, I noticed a colleague at the time seemed to go, just about, everywhere with a reasonably laden rucksack - nothing oversized - just a well-stocked circa 25 Litre daysack.  We got talking about rucksacks / walking and he volunteered two points which brought his tactic to life.  He was ex-military.  He found maintaining a similar day-to-day daysack weight to that of his hike-on-a-weekend requirements had helped him to improve his hiking experience after a serious (mechanical) back injury / recovery.

    Having myself experimented with this standard-to-you daysack weight approach; I too have found it helpful.  Not least, as in donning your familiar rucksack weight - it seems to help remind you to be better aware of both your balance and orientation in free space. 

    I now apply this approach when e.g. walking around a town or city centre on errands / exploring a country park / coastal footpath etc. 

    My personal addition to the strategy; is to retro-fit a sternum strap to my rucksacks if e.g. they only have been designed with a pelvis band.  Sometimes the circa 25 Litre can have even omitted that functionality.  I always feel it is a cost-effective bonus to add my retro-fit.

    By this means, the rucksack effectively becomes part of the body - in all movement - without surprises of sudden weight shift at awkward moments (e.g. negotiating a footpath stile).

    If, one day, I were to end up the most elderly woman pottering around town, still under her own steam, sporting a rucksack - well, so be it - I find it is comfortable (it is also part of signalling to my brain "now we are in walking mode, you really do know what to do!".

  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    Nice - I've fennel on my allotment - lovely plant - and the hover flies love it too.  i appreciate what you are getting at is that there are more is one influence on muscle spasm - and the biochemistry is a massive part of that.  Hehe my eldest daughter reminded me about her and her sister mixing "potions" in the garden from plants there.  Maybe fortunately given what's been growing there they didn't try consuming them.  For full reveal at around about the same age I was convinced try try a spoonful of soil by a friend.  hehe at least that's possibly put me off the hemlock!  Chamomile for me at the moment is faourite.

  • in reply to Phased

    Fennel tea can be bought in most supermarkets and is a mild anti-spasmodic, I use it when my back goes into spasm and also for indigestion.

  • As promised @
    TL;DR: The "Middle Way" to Calm the Body
    • The Example: I use calf cramps here as a prime example of how the body stores the residue of the day’s imbalances—specifically at the musculotendinous junction (like Bladder Meridian points BL56/57).
    • The Shift: Moving from "fixing a part" to practicing whole-body balance. Active stretches are a bridge to help you find Wu Chi—the "neutral gear" where your whole-body matrix carries your weight.
    • The Strategy: Use the breath to reset, check your balance point (centre of mass) in the lower abdomen, and feel your weight settle into your feet. This applies to standing, walking, and climbing.
    The Full Insight
    I really appreciate you highlighting the Qigong and breathing exercises. For me, this is where biomechanical science and the Taoist principle of balance meet.
    As an autistic person, I’ve found this approach changes the game. It’s less about fixing a malfunction and more about practicing a neurological "middle way."
    The Core Basics
    • Biomechanical Balance: Cramps often happen when "contract" and "relax" signals get out of sync. If posture is forced (too much Yang), the system loses harmony.
    • The Breath as a Bridge: Rhythmic breathing resets these signals, moving the nervous system from high-alert back to equilibrium.
    • From the Ground Up: Balance begins under the feet. When our connection to the ground is stable, the rest of the body finds its "effortless action."
    The Residue of the Day
    I often use calf cramps as a perfect example of this. They frequently strike at night as the "residue" of the day's imbalances. In the bladder meridian (BL56 and BL57), these points correlate to the musculotendinous junction where the muscle meets the tendon. When we finally sit or lie down, the nervous system can stay "stuck" in a high-alert state at these junctions.
    A Practice of Awareness: From Stretching to Wu Chi
    This takes practice. An "old man" like me knows that while a teacher helps at first, eventually the best teacher is yourself. I’ve found that using active stretches—like Grasping the Feet—is a helpful way to open those lines and "clear the noise."
    Ultimately, these stretches help you find Wu Chi (the primordial stance). In Western biomechanics, this is optimal neuro-postural alignment. It’s the "neutral gear" where your whole-body matrix carries your weight through balanced tension.
    From Static to Dynamic Balance
    It is important to understand that this isn't just about standing still. Wu Chi is the foundation for dynamic balance. Whether you are walking, climbing, or reaching, the goal is to carry that same "neutral gear" with you. If you can keep your balance point over your feet while moving, you prevent the over-firing that leads to that "residue" of tension later on.
    A Quick 30-Second Check-In
    If you feel a "ping" or tightness (using the calf as our example), try this:
    1. Soften the knees: Just enough to unlock them.
    2. Find your balance point: Notice the weight in your feet and connect it to your physical anchor (the centre of mass) in the lower abdomen.
    3. Let the matrix take it: Feel your weight distribute evenly through the whole body down into the floor. As the "clutter" of tension drops away, breathe into that space.
    Even with all my years, I’m not "cured"—I still get the occasional right calf cramp! I just see it as a signal to return to the basics.
    I’m coming at this from my experience as a physio and my time in the movement arts. It’s given me a view of how science and art meet—and quite literally, keeping a foot in both camps is the best way I know to keep the body from seizing up!
    Best wishes and good luck with the practice.