Swimming Hand Cramps
713
Member
1026 days
gfd posted 19 weeks ago.
It happens to me once in a while, especially if I am swimming as my second workout of the day. Not hydrating enough after the 1st workout.
"If you set a goal for yourself and are able to achieve it you have won your race." -Dave Scott
~Garen~
39
Member
230 days
tholosophy posted 19 weeks ago.
It can happen, keep hydrated as stated above, and don't worry about pushing your fingers together so hard. Fingers should be touching, but it is ok to have tiny gaps, as long as lots of water isn't flowing through. Also, don't cup your hand, keep relaxed.
76
Member
428 days
KevDaddy posted 18 weeks ago.
I get hand cramps as well. My thinking is that it is a combination of fatigue and too much tension in the hand. The OWS adrenaline may feed this for you- it definitely does for me.
I have found I can minimize the cramping by focusing on relaxing my hands at various points in the swim.
Hope this helps-
Kevin
464
Member
141 days
trigirltina2 posted 18 weeks ago.
I thought about you guys last night. I did abs, spin, ran and jumped in the pool. I noticed the hands at lap 40. i had to focus on just stroke and glide. I have never had that happen, so I'm thinking it was fatigue.
1
Member
50 days
KSMeyer posted 7 weeks ago.
I get these from time to time as well, and they can be pretty uncomfortable---Are you double jointed, by any chance?
I second tholosophy's comment...dont' worry so much about keeping fingers so tightly pressed together; as long as they're touching, you'll generate a good pull. (I need to practice what I preach, admittedly.)
I've also found a certain stretch helpful for when it does happen: while holding hand straight up with elbow resting on a plane, slowly bend each finger backward separately until, with each one, you feel the pull all the way through to the tendons in your wrist (not to the point of utter pain, obviously). Hold it for about ten seconds for each finger, then do combinations of fingers (first and second, then second and third, then third and fourth), and then all four fingers. Then roll your wrist a few times and give your hand a few pumps.
It might also be a good idea, after doing this, to change up your stroke for a little bit, or do a few kick laps to at least give it a rest.
Hope this works!
4910
Member
1714 days
beads1985 posted 7 weeks ago.
You want your hand to be in a relaxed postion with a slight finger spread. Your hand will naturally cup slightly. A finger spread creates more stroke force than a fingers-together postion and you will cramp a lot less.
Nothing to it, but to do it
80
Member
58 days
sbrstlouis posted 6 weeks ago.
Cramps in the pool plagued me until I began taking electolyte supplements before my swim sessions.
Matt Cazalas
Technical Writer
network cables
Tonight I had my first OWS and it went really well once I got past the typical freak out situations and got into my rhythm but one thing happened that I was expecting. I was about 25 mins in and noticed my left hand started to feel tight like it was about to cramp. So I flipped to my back and tried stretching it out by just opening and closing it until it loosened and it eventually did but then about another 20 mins or so later they both started to do it. I've never had this happen in the pool so I'm trying to figure out what it was. It wasn't bad enough to make me stop but definitely had me thinking. Overall though I felt pretty hydrated and didn't have any cramping anywhere else. The water temp was at 72 so it was warmer than a pool so I didn't think it was that either. So just wondering if anyone else has experience.
Thanks!