Millions of people have varicose veins. The aching and fatigue that go hand in hand with bulging veins can make the idea of exercise pretty unappealing. The thing is, a sedentary lifestyle is an open invitation for blood to pool in the veins of the ankles and legs. We need to move. When we move frequently, we not only lower our risk of varicose veins, but we also improve our mood and are better able to manage weight (which happens to be a risk factor for varicose veins).
If the very idea of exercising is an obstacle for you, we want to help you jump that hurdle. Here are a few forms of exercise that your legs may love – and a couple you want to avoid.
Walking
A walk a day doesn’t have to be strenuous to provide lots of benefits. Engaging in this activity, you may find that your sleep improves and your brain feels far less foggy. Walking also improves memory, aids in blood sugar regulation, boosts circulation and immunity, and strengthens the bones.
One of the reasons why walking is something that people with varicose veins should do is because it is one of the lowest impact forms of exercise there is. Walking strengthens the calf muscles, which gently increase the compression on the veins of the lower leg, encouraging blood to flow upward.
Elliptical or Biking
Biking is great because you can do it on the great open road or you can do it in your living room while you watch your favorite shows. If you like more variety, join a gym where you can switch up your low-impact exercise routine between a stationary bike and an elliptical machine that mimics walking but without any impact whatsoever. Even without the impact, the improvement in circulation throughout the body is beneficial for varicose veins.
Leg Exercises
You don’t need a gym or even any special equipment to support healthy veins. Just choose easy activities such as calf raises or rocking back and forth from your toes to your heels (this improves your balance, too). By the way, you can do these two motions while you brush your teeth; that’s how easy they are. Bicycle legs and side leg lifts are also easy to perform.
Take Precautions
Depending on the severity of varicose veins, there are certain exercises that may need to be performed very carefully and not very frequently. In fact, some people need to steer clear of higher-impact exercises altogether. Weightlifting is one of them. If you love the weights but hate what they do to your veins, you don’t have to give up your training, just go lighter on the poundage. Running is an activity that may not be any good at all for individuals with varicose veins.
Do you need help with varicose or spider veins? Contact us to schedule a visit to our Sherman Oaks vein clinic.