Ordinary muscle cramps are common following athletic exercise in healthy people. They can occur during exercise, at rest, or even during sleep. Much is not known about why these cramps occur. They usually happen after a forceful contraction of the muscle, i.e. making the muscle tighter.

It is known that loss of salt, potassium, and water may produce muscle cramps. Therefore, fluids (drinking water and/or electrolyte solution) and fruits and vegetables high in potassium (bananas and strawberries) are thought to be helpful in preventing these muscle cramps, however, the value of this treatment is not proven. Early treatment for these muscle cramps should be to gently massage the knotted muscle tissue until there is a relaxation phase. If it is painful to use the muscle after a cramp, one should not use it forcefully with exercise until pain free walking occurs. Icing the muscle will help with residual pain.

Much has also been written about the value of flexibility and preventing injuries of the muscle. Although there still remains uncertainty regarding this recommendation, many support the use of a stretching program in altering flexibility.

What is most important in stretching a muscle is that it is done when your body is generally warm. One should not stretch a cold muscle. Heat can be very useful in muscle, in fact, studies now show that a muscle being "warmed up" may be more extensible before injury, i.e. can actually stretch farther before tearing. Cold muscles are stiffer than warm muscles.

With these considerations in mind, it is important as we go into the colder winter months that we warm up our muscles before subjecting them to forceful athletic activity. This means that a warm-up period before heavy play should always be used. This can include fast walking, jogging or biking. It is recommended to keep legs warm with thigh sleeves or long underwear when running and working out of doors. Even if this would eventually create an overheated situation, it is better to layer your clothing and get your body warm before unlayering it, than to try to exercise with your extremities cold. Remember, even if you feel comfortable, if your muscles are cold they will not respond as well to forceful stretching or exertion, and may create an injury that could have been prevented.