Health and Fitness Tip
Side Stitch
One common discomfort and pain most will experience sometime in their health and fitness journey is a CRAMP. Most commonly caught in muscle groups like your thighs, butt, back, and calfs could be due to a muscle imbalance or electrolyte imbalance, although it’s not 100% proven those could be the cause.
But what if you catch a cramp or spasm in your abdomen, Moreso a side stitch?
I’ve had a few of these in my journey and they do not feel comfortable! It’ll stop you right where you are!
It is possible that friction can occur within the abdomen that could trigger spasms and inflame nerves that are sensitive to jolts and movements causing pressure in certain areas.
The thought that trying to eat or drink something right before or during a workout could cause some kind of response from the body, being that it’s trying to digest what was just consumed, make sense.
Here is one of a few logical tips I learned in college that not only helped me as a collegiate athlete but the clients I would work with in the future.
Eat and hydrate appropriately. If you are going to eat prior to a workout give yourself at least 2-3 hours time to allow the body to digest most of it. Try avoiding heavy meals or filling your stomach full of liquid.
During your workouts, when it’s time to grab a drink, sip rather than chugging it. Remember your body has to respond to what you’ve just consumed and at the same time help you perform your workout.
Keeping this tip in mind, could decrease your likelihood of your body having an uncomfortable spasm and prevent you from effectively completing your workouts.