Back in June I was talking to some family friends that mentioned they get cramps in their lower legs. This is an issue that I know plagues a lot of people and it wakes them up in the night. Nobody needs an interruption in their beauty sleep, so I am here to give you all the info you need to know about why you can get a cramp and how to stop it with diet and movement.
Do you have a job where you sit at a desk for 8 hours a day? Most people don't know that their body was not designed to sit for long periods of time.
When the body is in a position for 49 minutes or less, it takes 20 minutes of movement therapy (yoga, bodywork, exercise, etc.) to release that pattern. If it is in a static position for 50 minutes or more, it takes three to four hours of opposite action or movement therapy to release that pattern.
I had a conversation with one of my clients about his squatting and correct form last week. I have seen a lot of variations but many of them are bringing people closer to injury. I find that many people will sacrifice their form in order to "get lower" or do what the other people at the gym are doing.
June was the month of travel me and my husband. I spent every weekend on a plane, in a car, or on a train. Each destination was beautiful and full of family, friends, and sunshine! That was the upside. On the downside, I was feeling all sorts of discomfort from sitting more than my body is used to.
Lately I have become very aware of the bags that people carry around the city. I know as a New Yorker, sometimes you leave your apartment in the morning and don't get home until late in the evening. You wind up carrying lots of extra things around with you simply because you don't have time to go home in between all of your engagements.
