Swimming, Yoga, and Severe Calf Cramps

Point and flex

I read in one of the resources listed below that swimming is a complementary exercise to yoga. (Also listed was biking.) Running was not, but that will be a future post.

I love swimming and practicing yoga while I'm at it. It occurred to me during my laps that aqua-yoga would be a great therapy. I try to swim 30-35 laps (35 is a mile.) and I do them in sets of five: up-and-back breast stroke, then backstroke, then side stroke, crawl stroke and then using the kick board. I easily did 30 laps after being away from the pool for two months. But I started to get some serious calf/shin cramps during my last lap and could only kick with my left leg as I needed to keep my right foot flexed.

I wasn't overly concerned because I had tried a new-running technique two days earlier after being away from running since 2010 and my calves still ached from that attempt. So giving myself a day off from swimming, I did a yoga routine that included lunges and anything else that would prime my lower leg muscles. The next day I was only able to go 25 laps before both legs seized up on me. When I returned home I immediately looked up online what I could do to prevent cramps while swimming. Now, the logical thing to do was try one piece of advice at a time. No, I tried ALL of them. And of course it worked: I swam 36 laps and probably could have done more but I was afraid to overdo it. I have until March 30 to swim around Manhattan.*

Here are the prevention methods I tried:
1. I ate a banana about an hour and a half before swimming.
2. I did a relaxed Sun Salutation before putting on my bathing suit and leaving.
3. I did NOT kick off forcefully from the wall during any stroke.
4. I had a bottle of water and drank some before and during my laps. The 24 ounce bottle was empty before I finished my last lap.

If I had to guess I would say the water was the cramp antidote. But I will probably try to do all of those things before each swim.

*Our local YMCA has a motivational program where swimmers "swim" at some location. Last year they did Swimming to the Islands. This year it is swimming around Manhattan. There is a big map of Manhattan on a big bulletin board in the stairwell and little fishes that are moved as participating swimmers complete laps. After so many, say 500 laps, a small prize is awarded each swimmer. Then a t-shirt is awarded after the completion of the journey.


"Be Here and Now."