Kneeboard Surfing USA Community Forum

Hamstrings. Only after an hour or so in the water, one or both will cramp and I am done for the day. Crap. Are there excecises or stretches or a pill to stop or at least minimize this?

There are a number of stretches you can do. First you must warm up the muscles otherwise the stretch is not as effective. So go for a short vigorous walk, or a light jog to get the blood moving.
A stretch:
you will need a towel or something similar too hook over your foot.
Lie on your back, bring your knee up as close to your chest as possible, hook the towel over your foot, you shin should be pointing up, the other leg should be out straight and relaxed. Using the towel to hold your leg in position try to straighten your leg against the towel. You should feel a good stretch in your hamstrings hold this for 30 seconds. Now do the other leg. Repeat the process once more and you should be right to go.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT4mIxlAklo Here is another stretch that works well.
Try stretching a couple of times a day as that will help free up the hammies.

A good presurf stretch for your hamstrings is the yoga position called one legged forward bend. Sit with one leg extended and your opposite heal tucked in near your groin, turn at your waist toward your extended leg and bend forward reaching toward your foot, keep your back straight or slightly arched, not bent forward, hold for around 30 seconds. Invariably, the set of the day will roll in while your still on the beach stretching. A great exercise for strengthening the hamstrings that doesn't put too much stress on the lower back is the single leg Romanian deadlift. Standing on one foot and keeping your back straight, hinge at the your waist, bending forward reaching toward the area a few inches in front of your toes using your opposite leg to help balance. You can do this without weights or add a dumbell or kettlebell. Make sure your hydrated and and have plenty of electrolytes before paddling out.

Thanks..... going to try them all!

Invariably, the set of the day will roll in while your still on the beach stretching.

Ha-ha--ain't that always the truth!!??

Ouch - I can feel your pain

I also tend to get the dreaded hammie cramps on occasion. Nothing worse than taking off on a set wave and getting that stabbing pain in yr leg and bailing off like a baby

I try & do some stretches before going in. But Ive definitely found that working those hammies in the gym helps. Theres that leg curl machine where you lie on yr stomach and hook yr ankles under the bar, then raise towards yr butt That seems to do the job.

If all else fails & you get the cramps while in the water, I grab the tips of my flippers (yes I do use flippers ) and straighten legs. then i try not to over-tense my hammies on subsequent waves. Sometimes I can get another half-hour or so out in the water, sometimes not

cheers

Andy

Do the gym thing!

I know most don't do it but you should do your static stretching after, kinettic stretching prior. Recent studies have shown that static stretching prior to exercise actually leaves your muscles more suceptible to injury.

sf_firestarter wrote:I know most don't do it but you should do your static stretching after, kinettic stretching prior. Recent studies have shown that static stretching prior to exercise actually leaves your muscles more suceptible to injury.

Warm ups are essential.

Cramps are a curious thing -they tend to come on later in a session so you think you would have been well stretched by then not to mention all that activity prior to getting in the water. It's not as if your hamstrings and calfs are doing much on a kneeboard say compared to running etc.

I find electroyte drinks helpful and try to have glass the night before a surf.

Have you thought of trying smaller flippers?

I already am using churchills...they seem to be the only brand that can accomodate my size 4E feet.

I've had huge problems with leg cramps over the years, often strikes as I'm popping up to my knees. On bad days, when I've had too much coffee, too much sugar and not enough sleep it'll come on maybe only 30 minutes into a session and pretty much just shut me down. Aside from the obvious changes to pre-surf diet and rest , calcium, magnesium with a lot of water are helpful, but for me anyway, the biggest game changer is tossing back maybe up to a half- liter of diet tonic water on the way to the beach. The difference thankfully has been huge. I've been able now to stay out for 2-4 hours and come in only cause I'm tired, not cramps. Google leg cramps and tonic water/quinine. There's a lot of info from people who suffer from debilitating night cramps who have had success with tonic water.

Ok I did the tonic with quinine and in between sets this week extended the leg on the board and stretched between waves. looked funny but it worked. They wanted to cramp but didn't. I am trying the other suggs also and incorporating them in. The main thing I learned is I just can't drive to the beach suit up and dive in...I have to be PREPARED.

Ok I am now eating bananas, no morning coffee, warming up the gams and stretching, drinking tonic water and at suggestion of a friend eating a packet of salt, the restaurant packet kind, before the last 3 surfs at HB...not big days but alot of paddling and flippering (?) around and guess what..no cramps...they felt like goin boing but held off for 2-3 hours...did not cramp. At 55 tho I have to watch the salt intake. Thanks for all the aid from you. I am still test piloting the other remedies also.