Without fail my calves always cramp up

I've never bodyboarded, but I get calve cramps if I don't stretch them real good before a surf sesh...I now stretch everything before I go out and it helps a lot.

 

Fins are probably too small. Try some different ones.

 

Instead of just kicking, when heading out to the lineup, paddle while doing a very soft kick. I know a lot of bodyboarders don't do this but it works really well for me... Takes a lot of stress off legs.. I only bodyboard on a select few days but when I do bodyboard, I switch off stand up and prone (depends on the wave) and I don't wear fins. No sore legs here, no sore arms either.

 

I paddle out yo the line-up and kick to catch waves...also cramp occasionally but I stretch, hydrate, and eat a banana or avo before I sesh.

 

Like waterbaby said, you should try doing 5-10 mins of stretching for just your legs alone the day before you go, and then when you go to your break.

http://www.surfertoday.com/bodyboarding/6063-stretching-and-conditioning-exercises-for-bodyboarders

 

Sorry, it's so hard to post from the New HD kindle fire kfc7s.

 

try surfing

 

I cramp in the legs when I surf. I don't think anyone is immune. The older I get the more it happens. Just hydrate eat bananas and stretch. It's helped me.

 

Bros, drinking fluids til you puss clear every half hour at least before a sesh is key. This hydration begins many hours before the sesh. Coconut water is ideal, as are bananas and peanuts/cashews. Electrolytes bros. Drink your Brawndo.

FYI the Carver is unreal for surf-specific calf development and endurance. If anything, it's exploded both my calves in size not to mention making my back foot calf noticeably bigger. The only times my calves get right in a surf sesh is several hours in and if I don't make good attempts to rehydrate in between breaks. My opinion is that cramping is not so much localized and more indicative of full-body dehydration.

 

I like to drink Vitamin Water. It's packed with electrolytes, tastes great, and doesn't explode your mouth with fruit like other energy drinks.. Great advice, Emass.

 

I always drink coconut water, eat a banana, take a tablespoon of honey, and take 1000mg of magnesium a half hour to an hour before I head out. I also do lots of strecting. This seems to help reduce cramping.

 

STRETCH!!!

I use a foam roller before I leave my house. Look it up on amazon, they're about $20 and worth every penny. Its kind of like rolling out pizza dough. There is a thin connective tissue around your muscles that needs to loosen up before your entire muscle can loosen up. I'm not a physical therapist but I can tell you that it works very well for me.

 

i love how a calf cramp can paralyze your entire body

 

I get shin and toe cramps. They'll cripple you-- you cannot walk and you cannot stretch them out without sending your calf and foot into cramps.

You could have a B12 problem, the most missed diagnosis is B12 problems. Some people's body cannot absorb it from food, they Have to get injections.

You don't say how old you are. Older people get cramps.

Like Emass said, drink enough so your pee is clear. I hydrate the day before. Then wake up drink at least 16-20 oz water. On way down 45 min drive I drink another 20 oz water. Then 20 oz Gatorade on the beach. Then, stop and hydrate every 45-60 minutes while sunscreening. Of course, though, it's Florida and thr water is 85, air is 90-- can easily dehydrate.

It's also the fins I bet. Had to stop using fins for lap swimming as I aged. They'd send my feet and legs into horrible cramps quickly. Try surfing?

 

Stay off your knees when you're in the windowless white van & that may help.

(ok, that was a jk; happy sunday all you pious sinners)

 

hip flexors my problem when straddling between long breaks between sets...

i dunno, you do any exercises on land/pool that cause the same thing? if you're able to find the cause (other than whatever else it is) you might be able to address it with better muscle strengthening/conditioning doing said activity and like Emass said, hydration and stretching...

if this is a body boarding thing, chances are you're probably not very good at kicking, using too much knees and not nearly enough glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors, core balance, and quads - we covered this in Kander29's last post thread....

 

cramps are an electrolyte issue I think, not only found in brawndo (its what plants crave), but lotsa potassium in bananas

staying hydrated is only half the battle, gotta keep the electrolytes/salts you sweat out

also it could be that you are just a weak human and should stick to sewing?