FITNESS
Stomach cramps cause shallow
breathing and poor digestion due to
eating or drinking too much before a
golf game while Stitches are smaller
cramps due to accumulation of
sodium and potassium Quadriceps muscles, while standing,
hold top of foot with opposite hand
and gently pull heel toward buttocks.
Hold each stretch briefly, then
release. Never stretch to the point
of pain.
Prevention Build up speed gradually. Walking
too fast during the first half of the
game may cause overexertion and
muscle cramps. Build up your pace
gradually.
To prevent muscle cramps during
a round, golfers should hydrate by
drinking water at regular intervals,
before getting thirsty. Always drink
more water than normal during your
golf round. When sweating a lot
drink a sports beverage.
Do stretch and warm up exercises.
Take least 10 minutes stretching your
calves, hamstrings and quadriceps
muscles before a golf round. Perform
Calf muscle stretch while in a
standing position with both feet
pointed forward then straighten the
rear leg. Hamstring muscle stretch
is attained by sitting with one leg
folded in and the other straight out,
foot upright and toes and ankle
relaxed. Lean forward slightly, touch
foot of straightened leg. To stretch
A Golfer’s cramp affects
the muscles of the forearm
and only occurs when
playing golf.
Replenish electrolytes in your body.
Consuming electrolyte-fortified
sports drinks during a round of golf
may help prevent muscle cramps.
Get a sports massage or
physiotherapy. This will help relax
knotted muscles and promote better
blood flow to the muscles.
Other muscle cramps prevention
measures include timing your
meals by eating at least two hours
before you go to play, Practice deep
breathing during a round of golf
and do other forms of exercises for
overall fitness.
Treatment
Muscle cramps can be treated by
resting and stretching the muscle,
massage and applying heat (using hot
towel) or cold (using ice packs). In
cases of severe pain use analgesics
tables and ointments.
To relieve the pain from side stitches,
stop and raise your arms above your
head. Stretch the opposite side the
stitch. Repeat several times until the
pain eases.
Although most muscle cramps
resolve, sometimes they can indicate
a serious medical condition. See our
doctor if the cramps are frequent,
severe and respond poorly to
treatment. Also consult our sports
physiotherapists on how you can
prevent and manage muscle cramps
during golf.
Dr. Michelle Muhanda is the Chief
Executive Officer at One Health
Medical Centre, Unipen Apartments
Block A, Hurlingham, Argwins Kodhek
Road. [email protected]