I'm just about one year into swimming since stopping after college thirty years ago. I always retained great leg strength though biking but seven years ago I developed very bad sciatica at disc L5-S1, and pain down my left leg was excruciating. Three years ago I had a 2nd surgery and finally began recovery. The problem that remains is a tendency (actually more of a certainty) of getting bad cramps in my left calf and both arches in my feet. The chiropractors we get at big swim meets all say any nerve damage would be healed by now and I simply need to strengthen my calf muscle. Using fins will guarantee a cramp in seconds and actually so will a pull-buoy.
Anybody else every had this dilemma?
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Thanks all for the tips. Another swimmer at Greensboro was also stressing yoga so I'll look into it. I have also tried the tennis ball/ golf ball for messaging my arches -easy at work to just stand up once in a while and roll the ball under my feet. It hurts but it helps. I'll try the same thing with my glutes and piriformis muscles.
Thanks all for the tips. Another swimmer at Greensboro was also stressing yoga so I'll look into it. I have also tried the tennis ball/ golf ball for messaging my arches -easy at work to just stand up once in a while and roll the ball under my feet. It hurts but it helps. I'll try the same thing with my glutes and piriformis muscles.
