What are some reasons for getting side cramps when running/exercising?  What are some remedies?
409100
People will give you all kinds of answers about breathing, eating, drinking, putting your hands over your head, etc.  The bottom line is that it means you are not conditioned yet.  You will eventually get conditioned and it will stop.
320748
My daughters personal trainer said the side aches are from lack of water.  Make sure you always drink plenty of water an hour or so before you play.  If you still get a side ache. pinch your side that is aching and bend in that direction and it should go away.  It's always a good idea to drink plenty of water everyday  If you take your weight and divide by 2, that is the number of ounces of water per day you need.
913495
Getting cramps can mean a multitude of things.\n\nFirst of all, you should always stretch every day.  This should be done even if you are not going to do any type of organized exercise.\n\nAre you dehydrated?  Drinking more water can help the cramping in your muscles.\n\nAre you breathing correctly when you are walking?  When you breathe in, your stomach should go out so that you fill your diaphram completely.\n\nMaking sure that you get enough potassium in your diet can help.  Try bananas.\n\nIf these things do not work, I recommend consulting your physician.
1182615
I agree with all the other answers. I used to get horrible cramps, the kind that made me want to passout, I found that Tylenol menstrual/Midol or any pain reliever, doing some light jogging, and a heating pad after my jog worked really well. Even though exercising seems like the last thing you want to do, getting those muscles working helps loosen them up so that you don't have that "cramping" feeling. That's why as another person suggested "orgasms" help because they cause the muscles in your uterus to move and loosen or uncramp. Good luck!
838988
when I was young and just started running I had a problem with these kind of pains,  but I found later that if you can push yourself beyond those pains  they go away..  but I was pretty young back then.  It might stress out an older person.  I am glad I did it when I was young.  maybe just push yourself a little bit harder every time you run just a little bit further
468380
rub it; as a part-time personal trainer & former college athlete, trust me when I say I've dealt with quite a few muscle cramps! it also helps if you use something like Tiger Balm that heats the area and helps reduce the pain.
916012
It's just for pain relief. I think that maybe the midol is impeding your menstruation flow, that may also be the reason why you have cramps. And if you would like to lessen the cramps without drinking some medicines drink plenty of water.
705580
ok this used too happen to me all the time and i used to cry every night and this is what i did to stop it:\n\n*eat bananas (seriously potasium will stop the cramps)\n*prop your legs up on a pillow (works like a charm)\n*don't over exercise (sometimes if you run or bicycle it will cause cramps)\n*drink plenty or water during the day\n....and don't forget the bananas or potasium supplement!!!
11789
Cramps are usually the result of mineral depletion.  Others have advised about replenishing water and sodium, but overlook the importance of potassium, and, to a lesser extent, magnesium.  While in training, he should have his potassium level checked to see if it is well within normal range (4.0 to 5.0)  If not, he should ask his doctor about possible daily supplements.  If it is normal, he should consider potassium loading before the race (good foods include bananas, sweet potatoes, oranges) and then supplementing during the race, either with pills (preferably with a doctor's OK), or, if his gastro system can handle it, orange juice or other high potassium fluids; most sports drinks have only trace amounts of potassium.  I've run a few marathons and run at a relaxed pace, and thus it doesn't bother my stomach to drink a quart of OJ an hour before the race and a pint at mile 14 (supplied by a waiting family member), and this has helped reduce cramping a lot - I used to get severe charley horses at mile 19.  Tell your friend to search potassium loading on the web, there are a few references to it in marathon forums.   The caveat is that a high potassium level is dangerous; in people with normal kidney function, the kidney sloughs off any excess harmlessly; but if renal function is impaired, high doses of potassium are contraindicated.
781705
When your swimming your foot is at a pointed position. Your most likely feeling a cramp. This happened to me when I was younger and did gymnastcs. Take a break from swim and and roll your foot around
519461
I had really irregular, painful , heavy periods. i went to my doctor and she told me that i should go on birth control pills to help regulate all that. It has helped. Before when i had serious cramps, I used to lay on my back and put a pillow or a towel under my lower back. i have also found out that when i started exercising regularly, the cramps where not as bad when i had my periods. good luck and i hope you find some relief!
955955
Sometimes chronic muscle cramps are the result of vitamin deficiency (calcium in particular).  Consider taking a daily multi-vitamin!  If anything, it can't hurt. . .
169675
A heating pad works wonders. Something warm will help ease your muscle cramping.
851009
This sounds very familiar to me!  The same thing happened to me in my pregnancies #2 and #3.  Here's what my doctor advised me:  first, the cramps are a sign that your body needs more potassium.  Eat more bananas; that will help restore the missing potassium to your body.  Second, when you get into bed and the cramps start, what you do is (this may be hard to describe in written words; wish I could just show you how) straighten the cramping leg all the way out, while pulling your toes in, toward you.  In other words, you want to straighten your leg, pushing your heel "out" as far as you can while pulling your toes "in" as far as you can.  Hold that for a few seconds, until the cramp goes away.  This works; I know it did for me.
1117208
Oh, I run both! I'm #1 in my conference. I could make a training schedule for you but I don't know your goals or how long you've been running. So email me and I'll be glad to help. Be sure to always drink alot of water. And do some jumps after about a 20 min. run. That will make your legs strong. And STRECH!! Do abs. Running, beleive it or not, has a big effect on your running.Don't drink water within 30 min. of a run or eat anything for an hour before either. This will prevent you from getting side cramps, witch are so painful they caused me to drop out of a race once, and make me lose a race I was winning and I ended up falling and losing 19 places within 800 meters to the finsh line. It sucked! So email me, I'd love to help! dollars_xc@yahoo.com
860484
try taking some deep breaths after and during your jogging. side aches can be caused from not breathing correctly.
88936
ibprophin, bananas, and excercise regularly ...I dont know why we get cramps its lame