Exercising is considered a guarantee of health, helps maintain immunity, improves mood, and reduces weight. However, with various injuries of the musculoskeletal system, physical activity is reduced to a minimum or completely stopped. Varicose veins are considered a kind of internal injury to the legs, often causing discomfort when moving. It is important to understand whether it is acceptable to run with varicose veins.
Disturbances in the circulatory system provoke congestion, swelling of the legs, nighttime manifestations of cramps, chronic fatigue and pain. If you do not start treatment during the first manifestations of symptoms and start varicose veins, in the future the disease will acquire a severe form accompanied by deformation of the veins, severe pain and the formation of blood clots. At the initial stages of the development of the disease, sports will help to cope with venous defects.
With varicose veins, sports activities related to the category of weightlifting are strictly contraindicated. Low-intensity dynamic loads are useful for the patient; they help improve blood circulation due to peculiar venous-muscular pumps. The muscles of the thighs, legs or feet become pumps, which, with the work of the heart, lift blood from the lower blood sections, directing the fluid to the heart.
When the muscular system is in good shape and the vascular valves are in normal condition, the venous-muscular pump is able to work without interruption. Light sports activities are good for the body. However, if the vein valves are damaged or deformed, any physical activity must be treated with extreme caution.
If the veins are severely dilated, swelling and pain in the legs, running is contraindicated. Running poses a health hazard in cases of suspected thrombophlebitis. At the time of intense movements and stress, there is a great danger that the blood clot will come off and, moving along with the blood through the vessels, will cause blockage of the blood flow. The situation poses a serious danger to the patient's life.
Long distance running is prohibited. High-intensity running becomes a direct threat to weakened health; even at short distances it requires active muscle work and intense blood circulation. The circulatory system is not able to cope with significant volumes of lymph and blood. As a result, the leaflets of the venous vessels are subjected to severe overloads. With varicose veins in the legs, sprinting and accelerated movements are contraindicated.
The main rule for varicose veins is a mandatory consultation with a phlebologist to determine the allowed degree of stress and the intensity of their implementation. If your doctor has given you permission to run with varicose veins, we suggest you remember a list of simple rules that will protect you from possible unwanted overloads and allow you to benefit from running:
To keep running with varicose veins safe, you will need to minimize excess weight. Obesity contributes to the deterioration of the cardiovascular system and prevents sufficient saturation of the body with oxygen. With intense movements, the breathing pattern quickly becomes disrupted and has a pressing effect on the blood vessels; measures are recommended to eliminate excessive fullness. If you are overweight, intensive jogging is not recommended for patients with varicose veins. To normalize the condition and increase the effectiveness of the weight loss process, it is recommended to follow a diet and initial sports activities in the form of long walking.
When choosing running shoes, you need to take into account the structure of your foot. It is important to use special corrective insoles in shoes or arch supports if you have flat feet or a valgus-type curvature of the foot. Orthopedic devices are required to properly and evenly distribute loads and prevent the development of varicose veins in the legs.
In cases of foot diseases, jogging on rocky surfaces is prohibited: asphalt roads, paving stones or pebbles and cobblestones. Jogging takes place on a specially made stadium running surface, earthen forest paths and grass. The advice must be followed to avoid ruptures of vascular valves and possible detachment of a blood clot.
After training, it is forbidden to expose blood vessels to high temperatures, visit baths, saunas, thermal baths, or pour hot water on your feet. The best solution for relaxing and improving the tone of the body and blood vessels is to take a cool, refreshing shower.
At the initial stages of the development of the disease, light jogging is considered an acceptable option for keeping the body in good shape and improving the elasticity and blood circulation of blood vessels. By taking precautions, this type of running activity can improve muscle tone, enhance blood circulation and overall health, and effectively promote the removal of toxins from the body and sustainable weight loss.
During running exercises, all muscle groups and systems of the body are involved. Training has a beneficial effect on the physical condition of the human body, moral and psychological health, which is important when suffering from varicose veins in the legs. So that the efforts and efforts made do not turn out to be detrimental, it is recommended not to overexert yourself and be sure to coordinate the load with a competent phlebologist.
This is a note about how I lived and ran with progressive varicose veins of the lower extremities and how they later eliminated them.
The first time I was told that something was wrong with the veins in my right leg was by a surgeon at the medical office at the military registration and enlistment office, I think it was in my first year at the institute, in 1995. I didn’t pay much attention to his remark at the time, but I thought that, most likely, this was a consequence of the fact that my right foot is my pushing foot in basketball.
As the years passed, due to the nature of my work, I spent quite a lot of time on my feet, working as a teacher and translator. The geography of the veins on the right leg became wider and wider, and blue veins began to appear on the left leg. It became clear that I have varicose veins of the lower extremities, mostly in the right leg and in the initial stages of the left. Heaviness and swelling began to appear in my legs more and more often. The elastic bandage became my faithful friend and year after year it wound higher and higher from my ankle. I became well versed in gels and ointments with troxerutin and heparin and tablets to strengthen veins from the inside.
The essence of the disease is the expansion of superficial veins that pass close to the skin, the incompetence of valves in the veins that “do not hold” and disruption of blood flow, when venous blood cannot completely rise up and it is discharged (reflux) through the vein back down to the foot.
Varicose veins (photo: Wikipedia)
After resuming running in 2013, the situation did not immediately change dramatically: I ran most of my training and all competitions in compression gaiters and occasionally used recovery gaiters after training. However, gradually the elastic bandage became the first thing I saw and put on when I woke up every morning, 3 meters was not enough to cover all the prominent veins on my right leg, the budget for gel tablets became an indispensable attribute of monthly planning. Besides everything else, my leg looked quite ugly, I didn’t have a complex, but I was worried about it. However, I still wore shorts regularly (although I knew that the sun was not at all good for veins). I still hoped that it would be possible to do without serious treatment.
The denouement came in the summer of 2014: the surgeon, just looking at my leg, was quite surprised and definitely recommended surgery to remove bad veins.
The last straw came when, once again removing the bandage from my leg, I clearly heard a characteristic sound in the area of the hard swollen veins under the knee: it was the hissing of blood, which could not rise and was rapidly falling down the vein. There was no way to go any further; the operation was inevitable. A new term has entered my life and browser bookmarks - combined phlebectomy.
I was lucky: among my friends’ friends there was a first-class vascular surgeon who immediately agreed to operate on me. Hospitalization was scheduled for after the November holidays. I passed the necessary tests, did an ECG and ultrasound of the veins, and came to the clinic at the appointed time on Monday morning.
They operated on me in the afternoon under local anesthesia, injecting me into the lumbar spine. I was conscious, but I didn’t feel anything below my stomach and couldn’t move my legs (it’s scary not only physically, but also psychologically when you realize that there they are, your legs, but you can’t move).
The operation took about 2.5 hours, according to my surgeon, it was so long because I carefully “nurtured” my varicose veins. As a result, there were about 1.2 meters less veins in my right leg and 17 more scars.
Everything was done perfectly and beautifully: now, after a year, the scars are practically invisible.
The next morning I started to walk my leg. On Friday morning I was discharged and I walked home. Throughout November and December, I practically did not remove the 5-meter elastic bandage, took Venarus tablets and walked a lot. It was also necessary to swim, but the pool didn’t work out.
The doctor allowed me to resume running training three months later, in February 2015. It was very strange and unusual to start running again. Essentially, I was learning to run again. But now I don’t even remember what it’s like when my legs hurt and ache, when they swell in the evening and look terrible. The elastic bandage moved to the closet (although we shouldn’t forget about the left leg, yes). The costs of gels and tablets for veins are practically zero. I run only in compression, after training - mandatory recovery compression.
Huge volumes (from 200 km per month) are not my option: I don’t want a relapse of the disease at all, so the proportion of long and hard training in my training plans is the minimum necessary.
However, in August 2015 I was able to improve my half marathon time by running the distance at an average pace of 3'53" min/km, and in September I ran my third marathon at a pace of 4'19" (for comparison: in 2013- oh this was my 10 km race pace).
There is running after varicose veins. My gratitude to my surgeon is immeasurable.
Many people turn to doctors with the question of whether it is possible to run with varicose veins of the legs. More than half of the world's population suffers from a disease such as varicose veins. Everyone is interested in: is it possible to cure varicose veins, play sports with it, is running dangerous if you have varicose veins? Most of the sick people are not interested in their disease, methods of its treatment and let everything take its course; as a result, the disease progresses and trophic ulcers appear.
As you know, the main process in our body is blood circulation. Blood moves in a large and small circle due to heart contractions.
Blood moves from the upper parts to the lower parts quite easily, but difficulties arise back. Blood moves up the veins using not only the heart, but also the leg muscles.
The leg muscles must constantly contract and relax, causing blood to flow up the veins. This process occurs in a healthy body without pathologies or disorders. With varicose veins, the reverse process occurs.
The veins dilate, the valves in them stop working correctly, and as a result, blood flow slows down. The slower the blood circulation, the more the veins dilate.
Varicose veins can occur not only in the legs, but also in other parts of the body. With varicose veins, the legs hurt very much and the appearance of the skin deteriorates. Diseased veins become bluish and form clusters of lumps on the legs.
Varicose veins, if left untreated, progress over time. Severe pain appears in the legs. It is much easier to stop the disease at its earliest stage. Under no circumstances should you self-medicate; you should consult a doctor.
The first warning signs of such a serious disease as varicose veins are heaviness, fatigue in the legs and muscle cramps.
With varicose veins, pain appears, which only intensifies over time. Unsightly spider veins appear on the legs. The main symptoms of the onset of the disease:
It is very important to notice these symptoms at the initial stage and try to prevent them. To prevent the onset of the disease, it is necessary to carry out prevention.
If one of your relatives has a similar disease, prevention should be taken care of first, since varicose veins can be hereditary.
In case of varicose veins, first of all, you should not put too much strain on your legs; when standing or sitting, you need to periodically give your legs a rest and do a warm-up. If you have to sit for a long time, you need to change your body position from time to time, and under no circumstances cross your legs.
It is necessary to give up beautiful, but uncomfortable shoes with heels; it is better to throw away all clothes that may cause pressure on the lower limbs. Clothing should be comfortable and not cause discomfort.
There are many reasons for the appearance of this disease. The first and independent of a person’s lifestyle is heredity. If one of your relatives has varicose veins in the legs, then most likely it will also appear in children. Therefore, everything must be done to prevent the disease.
Varicose veins can occur as a result of sedentary work. Of course, in the modern world of computer technology, when people spend all their free time at the computer, this is especially relevant.
As already noted, varicose veins form when blood flows improperly through the veins. Office workers are at risk because they spend most of their time at work in a sitting position and move little. People who are obese and lead an unhealthy lifestyle can also get sick. Disturbances of the endocrine and hormonal systems lead to the initial stage of the disease, which subsequently develops to a severe condition.
This problem is relevant for girls during puberty, women during pregnancy and childbirth. Hormonal imbalances cause blood stagnation. The lack of estrogen hormone and the predominance of the corpus luteum hormone have a relaxing effect on the muscles, resulting in dilation of the veins.
Whenever possible, it is necessary to avoid any stress and nervous disorders, as this also affects the condition of blood vessels. Veins have nerve endings that make the veins more elastic. As a result of stress, blood vessels dilate and lose tone.
With age, blood vessels lose their firmness and elasticity. You need to take special care of your health. Be sure to lead a healthy lifestyle, eat right, and move more. Long evening walks and morning jogging are very beneficial.
Even before the first symptoms of varicose veins appear, preventive measures must be taken. To prevent the appearance of varicose veins, first of all it is necessary to maintain a normal weight, not stand on your feet for a long time, spend more time walking, try a contrast shower, and swim in the pool.
Even if a person does not know how to swim, it is still useful for him to stand in the water, thus having a gentle effect on the blood vessels, which helps improve blood flow in the veins, thereby eliminating blood stagnation in them.
In general, physical activity has a beneficial effect on any organism. But if you have any diseases, including varicose veins, you need to choose what you can do and what you can’t do.
People suffering from varicose veins first need to understand what stage the disease is at. To do this, you will definitely have to visit a phlebologist; in no case should you diagnose yourself. This can only harm your health.
Typically, people who have varicose veins think that they can no longer go to the gym. But this is fundamentally wrong.
You need to play sports, but you should choose not very difficult sports. The load should not be excessive; it must be taken into account that diseased veins may not be able to cope with it. When playing sports, you should wear compression stockings. Compression stockings can protect diseased veins from overuse and injury.
Running with varicose veins is not a good choice. It is better to take long walks in the evenings. The main sports that you can do with varicose veins:
The following loads are very dangerous for varicose veins:
To the question of whether it is possible to run with varicose veins, there is only one answer: only a phlebologist will decide whether running will be beneficial or whether it will harm the blood vessels.
We must try to prevent varicose veins, so its prevention is step No. 1 in the fight against varicose veins. In order to strengthen the walls of blood vessels, it is necessary to exclude animal fats from your menu, increase the amount of vegetable fats, seafood rich in vitamin F. This can not only strengthen the walls of blood vessels, but also keep your figure in good shape.
To maintain blood vessels in tone, you can use massage and contrast showers. A contrast shower is also a controversial issue, but if everything is done in moderation, there will be no harm, only benefit.
The legs must be constantly active; in no case should you overexert them or carry heavy loads. Light running, cycling, and swimming are recommended. All these measures will keep blood vessels in good shape and prevent varicose veins.
If varicose veins on the legs have already begun, prevention will not help. Treatment should be started as early as possible, even at the initial stage of the disease. Self-medication is contraindicated; you must follow all doctor’s recommendations.
The main methods of treating varicose veins are:
When choosing any treatment method, it is important to begin the fight against the disease in time, since advanced varicose veins are trophic ulcers on the legs that cannot be treated and can lead to disability or death.
The high prevalence of varicose veins in the legs among the adult population leads to decreased mobility, weight gain, and increases the risk of cardiovascular pathology. Current treatment options using medications, sclerotherapeutic techniques, laser and surgery help solve the problem of sagging veins.
People who care about their health prefer to do preventative exercises for their legs and maintain physical fitness through sports at any age.
Varicose veins are associated with a breakdown of the mechanism for returning venous blood to the heart, sagging of the valve apparatus of peripheral veins, and loss of vascular tone and elasticity.
Correct exercises against varicose veins allow you to:
To do exercises for varicose veins with benefit, you must follow the following rules:
Patients with varicose veins need to be critical when choosing a training method. Numerous fitness clubs offer their services with different types of exercise. Among them, you should choose types that are not associated with increased leg work (step aerobics), with long-term static load on the muscles of the lower leg and thigh (callanetics).
An exercise from the callanetics complex develops the abdominal press
Slow stretching exercises, Pilates classes, and yoga are recommended.
The exercises are performed at a calm pace, which allows you to control your breathing well and not overload your legs.
The set of exercises necessarily includes flexion and extension movements in the joints of the legs (knees, ankles, hips), alternating load on the toes and heels, “hitting” the heels on the floor, tension in the abdominal muscles.
You need to change the type of movements: walk on your toes, heels and full feet, as when skiing, throwing your knee forward and up, as well as back. It is enough to spend 5 minutes studying.
Having made yourself comfortable while lying on the mat, let’s continue the load:
Fix the position of straight legs at an angle of 45 degrees, do “scissors” movements to the sides, then up and down. These movements strengthen the inner thigh muscles.
Repeat each exercise 20–25 times. Over time, the number of approaches can be increased.
To tighten your abdominal muscles, as you exhale, lift your legs and upper body as much as possible at the same time and hold as long as you can.
Experienced trainers, if there are doubts about whether it is possible to squat with pain in the legs, will, of course, recommend abstaining. But, if varicose veins are mild, squats are included in the complex with the condition of correct execution: stand with emphasis on your heels (you can even lift your toes to control the position). When squatting, watch your knees. They should remain level with your toes and not move forward. You should stretch your hips and buttocks back, as if you want to sit on a low bench. The same attitude applies to lunges to the sides and back and forth.
You need to finish the exercise with breathing exercises, raising your arms as you inhale and lowering them as you exhale.
Busy people prefer to exercise in the gym using exercise machines. The trainer needs to talk about existing varicose veins in the legs, since the load on the exercise equipment can be increased and decreased. Using a treadmill, exercise bikes, and an elliptical trainer (orbitrack) helps strengthen the muscle frame.
An exercise bike can completely replace a bike ride. It develops muscle strength and promotes blood circulation in the legs. The important thing is that the machine only works the lower part of the body and excludes its own weight.
The shape of the trajectory of the elliptical trainer allows targeted action on the calf and thigh muscles and does not allow significant stress on the leg joints
The pedals of an elliptical trainer move along an oval path.
Exercises on simulators are not suitable for swelling in the feet, severe pain and cramps.
People with varicose veins of the legs have periods of acute illness when bed rest is recommended. Considering that any immobility contributes to stagnation of blood in the legs, you can allow yourself light exercises in bed. These include:
These movements imitate walking and do not allow varicose veins to worsen.
Serious professional sports with varicose veins are contraindicated. Any type is based on increased physical activity, and chess and checkers, on the contrary, add weight and contribute to prolonged immobility.
You can engage in amateur sports and at the same time control your well-being yourself.
Riding a bicycle is accompanied by rotational movements in the knee and ankle joints and involves all muscle groups in the legs. This activates general blood circulation, increases blood flow speed, and prevents the formation of blood clots in the veins of the legs.
Running with varicose veins is associated not only with stress on muscles and joints, but is also accompanied by the impact of the sole on the surface. A similar mechanism is useful for moderate varicose veins. But you should carefully consult your doctor about the condition of your joints. If you have arthrosis or arthritis, running is not recommended. If there are dense venous nodes, then running is considered contraindicated.
The attitude towards swimming with varicose veins is positive. Water imperceptibly puts pressure on the leg muscles and improves blood circulation. In addition, the overall tonic effect should be taken into account. When doing water aerobics, exercises are always more effective.
Don't give up playing table tennis. Fitness for varicose veins improves overall blood circulation and vascular tone. Exercises with skipping rope and jumping are limited.
The beneficial desire to help your health through exercise should not be replaced by your own techniques. It is necessary to consult a phlebologist about indications for classes and possible restrictions. A trainer will help you select the load. Homework should be done daily. Only with a positive attitude and perseverance can you achieve results.
Varicose veins are one of the most common diseases in women. Statistics have found that half of women over the age of 30 are susceptible to this disease.
Varicose veins are a disease in which veins lose their elasticity, stretch and widen. There is a feeling of heaviness in the legs, then the legs begin to swell, sometimes it comes to cramps in the calf muscles. Dilation of the veins leads to the formation of subcutaneous “knots” that can rupture, resulting in bleeding that can be life-threatening. This disease mainly affects people engaged in heavy physical labor, those whose work involves a lot of stress on their legs, and pregnant women.
To the question: “What causes varicose veins?” - Doctors cannot answer unequivocally. The development of the disease is promoted by flat feet, obesity, and poor nutrition. The impetus for this disease is heavy stress on the legs, especially in people who are overweight. A large load puts pressure on the veins, they cannot stand it and swell. Weak walls of venous vessels also contribute to the development of varicose veins - evidence that the muscles of the legs are poorly strengthened.
Often, several generations in the same family are affected by this disease. Some American experts believe that the predisposition to varicose veins is inherited, and argue that weak genes control this disease.
As you know, venous valves act as locks: when blood passes through the valves, the lock closes and does not let it back out. And as soon as such a system begins to fail, blood flows freely down and stagnates in the legs. Time passes, stagnation increases and interferes with the functioning of healthy valves, blood begins to flow into the superficial veins, which are located directly under the skin, they stretch and lose their shape. The veins swell and appear through the skin.
Expectant mothers are also at risk of acquiring varicose veins. During this period, the content of hormones in the body increases, which weaken collagen and connective tissue, enlarging the walls of venous vessels. Therefore, it is difficult for weakened tissues to cope with the volume of blood increased during pregnancy. But, as a rule, in most women varicose veins go away after childbirth.
In our age, when modern medicine can do almost everything, varicose veins, fortunately, can be prevented or, at worst, its development can be slowed down. There are many ways to alleviate a person’s condition with varicose veins. Of course, only a doctor should prescribe treatment, namely a vascular surgeon who performs operations to remove “nodes.”
Such operations are carried out only in the most extreme cases, when there is a danger of rupture of the “knot”, or thrombophlebitis. It is performed under general anesthesia, and after the operation, patients are immediately forced to get up on the advice of a doctor in order to restore blood circulation in the legs. After 10 days, patients can return to work. But varicose veins can appear on non-operated areas of the legs, so the risk of varicose veins always remains.
What can be done to prevent or at least alleviate such a disease?
Anyone who likes to sit for a long time should give up this bad habit. Sitting for long periods of time contributes to varicose veins, as blood circulation slows down in bent, motionless legs. Stand in public transport for a while, stretch your legs a little during the working day - in general, move more.
If you have to sit in a chair for a long time during the day, for example when working at a computer, do simple exercises from time to time.
Those people who spend all day “on their feet” should also be wary of varicose veins. When your legs are under a lot of stress, blood stagnates in the veins, causing varicose veins.
People who are overweight are especially susceptible to this disease. The blood vessels of an obese person contain more blood than those of a person of normal weight, so these vessels have too much stress. People who are overweight in such a situation can only be given one piece of advice - to lose weight and keep their weight at a constant level. Consume more often proteins and vitamins C and E, which are components of collagen - the connective tissue of veins and venous valves. But a balanced diet will not help cure varicose veins, but will only improve your well-being.
Move as often as possible. Movement is life, the axiom is known to everyone. Movement prevents stagnation in the blood and causes the muscles in the legs to contract, which helps the intense movement of blood to the heart. You can make your life more dynamic using various means, such as race walking, running, cycling, aerobics, shaping, swimming, and exercise equipment. Physical exercise will prevent blood from stagnating in the veins, the tissues of the legs will become elastic and will not allow the veins to stretch in the legs.
For those who are just beginning to develop the disease, doctors recommend wearing special anti-varicose tights, which must be prescribed by a doctor. They are sold in pharmacies with a prescription. These tights prevent bulging veins because they compress the calf muscles more than the thigh muscles. The blood flow rises faster and easier to the heart.
Of course, anti-varicose tights can only slow down the course of the disease, but not prevent it. If you are unable to wear elastic stockings, then wrap your legs with an elastic bandage. This should be done in the morning, but before bandaging you need to lie down with your legs raised up for about 15 minutes. In this case, the force of gravity promotes the reverse flow of blood - from the legs to the heart. Swelling and strain on the veins are reduced. Do this exercise for 5-6 minutes every day, if possible 2-3 times a day.
Exercise 1 . Lying on the floor, raise your legs up. Pull your toes up and towards you 10 times.
Exercise 2 : Lying on the floor, raise your legs up. Perform circular movements with your feet clockwise and in the other direction. Perform the exercise 10 times.
Exercise 3. A very good exercise for veins is the “birch tree”. Lying on the floor on your back, lift your legs and pelvis up, supporting your lower back with your hands. Stay in this position for 15-20 seconds.
Spend 15 minutes stretching. It will not only keep your figure flexible, but will also help push blood out of the veins.
Exercise 4 . Lying on your back, bent legs raised up (knees to the sides, soles connected), hands holding your feet. Pulling your feet towards you, stretch the muscles of the inner thigh. Hold this position for 15 s. Repeat 4 times.
Exercise 5 . Lying on your left side with support on your elbow, hold your right foot with your right hand. Make several spring movements, pulling the thigh back, trying to touch the buttock with the heel, stay in this position for 10 s, then return to the i.p. The same on the right side. Repeat 2 times.
If your feet are constantly swelling, then place a blanket rolled up under your feet at night. This will ease your suffering a little.
At any time convenient for you, try to perform circular movements with your feet clockwise and then counterclockwise. Whether you sit or stand does not matter.
People suffering from varicose veins are more likely to additionally acquire thrombosis. Sometimes blood clots called thrombi form in varicose veins. The veins begin to become inflamed (thrombophlebitis), and there is a real danger of a blood clot moving through the veins. Vein occlusion (blocking blood flow to the heart or lungs) may occur, which can be fatal. A blood clot cannot be seen if it forms in the deep veins, but signs include swelling in that part of the legs and constant pain. If these symptoms occur, you should consult a doctor immediately.
In order to prevent thrombophlebitis, it is not recommended to lead a sedentary lifestyle, constantly move, play sports, especially pay attention to strengthening your calves, watch your weight and try not to gain weight.
The most important thing is that you do not need to self-medicate, which can worsen your condition. As soon as you notice the first signs of varicose veins or the appearance of hardening and redness in an enlarged vein, consult a doctor immediately. Despite the many modern medicines, only a qualified specialist will offer you something that will have a positive effect and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
Gymnastics for legs
Special gymnastics, which can be done both in the morning and in the evening, will make your legs healthy and resilient. If you do the exercises below every day, you will soon feel that your legs have become stronger and less tired.
Exercise 1 . Walk in place for 2-3 minutes, while trying to raise your knees high.
Exercise 2 . Holding the support with one hand, perform a rolling motion from your heels to your toes: standing on your heels, move the center of gravity of your body to your toes, and then back to your heels. Repeat the exercise 15-20 times.
Exercise 3 . Stand with the front of your foot on a small platform, such as a book. Rise up onto your toes and lower your heels as low as possible. Repeat the exercise 15-20 times.
Exercise 4 . Sitting on a chair, roll a round stick lying on the floor with your feet, then grab and hold it with your toes. Perform the exercise for 2-3 minutes.
Exercise 5 . Lying on the floor on your back, raise your legs bent at the knees and make movements like when riding a bicycle. Repeat the exercise 15-20 times.
Exercise 6 . Lying on the floor, lift your legs straight up. Spread your legs to the sides and cross them. Repeat the exercise 8-10 times.
Exercise 7 . Lying on your back, lift your legs bent at the knees up, then sharply straighten them, then bend them again. Repeat the exercise 8 times.
Exercise 8 . Sitting on the floor, stretch your legs forward and tilt your torso towards them, trying to touch your chest to your knees. Repeat the exercise 6-8 times.
Walking strengthens the leg muscles. Try to walk more often, while gradually increasing the distance traveled.
In the evening after a hard day, it is recommended to take a relaxing salt or herbal bath for your feet.
While at your workplace, you need to periodically give your legs the opportunity to relax and switch the load to those muscle groups that are inactive during your work. If you spend most of your working day in a sitting position, we recommend doing a few exercises in your free moments to help your legs.
Exercise 1 . While sitting on a chair, place your right leg on top of your left and lift your left leg as high as possible several times. Then switch legs.
Exercise 2 . Without getting up from the chair, place both feet on the heels, and then with a rolling motion, move the weight of your legs to your toes. Repeat the exercise 10 times.
Exercise 3 . Crossing one leg over the other, rotate the foot of your top leg clockwise. Repeat the exercise with each leg 15 times.
Exercise 4 . Get up from the chair and stretch your whole body up, rising onto your toes.
Exercise 5 . While sitting on a chair, bend and straighten both legs while holding onto support, such as the back of the chair. Do the exercise 10 times.
Exercise 6 . With your shoes off, squeeze your toes as hard as you can, then slowly relax them. Repeat 5-7 times.
Exercise 7 . Crossing your legs, perform circular movements with your top foot. Perform the exercise with each leg 10 times.
Exercise 8 . Standing up from a chair and holding onto its back, do 10-15 squats.
If you have to move a lot at work, even in a busy work schedule, find a few minutes for a little exercise that will give your legs new strength. Lock yourself in your office and do the following exercises.
Exercise 1 . Take off your shoes and, leaning on a table or the back of a chair, vigorously shake each foot in turn.
Exercise 2 . Stand on your toes and run in place for 1-2 minutes.
Exercise 3 . Without lifting your heels off the floor, do 10 squats, trying to squat as low as possible.
Exercise 4 . Walk on the inside and outside of the foot for 1-2 minutes.
Exercise 5 . Standing on your toes, do 7-10 easy jumps.
Exercise 6 . While sitting on a chair, lift each bent leg in turn as high as possible. Repeat the exercise 10 times with each leg.
Exercise 7 . Take off your shoes and put a scarf on the floor. Using the toes of both feet at the same time, try to grab the scarf and lift it. Repeat 5-7 times.
Exercise 8 . Sitting on a chair, raise your right leg bent at the knee and rotate the hip joint. Perform the exercise with each leg 10 times.
Exercise 9 . Standing on the floor, raise your arms up and stretch your whole body without lifting your feet from the floor. When you feel a slight tension in the muscles of your legs, fix the position of your body for 5 seconds, then lower your arms and relax.
While doing household chores or working in the kitchen, you can combine work with exercises that will help your legs rest and relax.
Move around the house dancing by turning on your favorite dance tune.
If you need to pick something up off the floor, straighten your back and squat down slowly. If you have time, do a few of these squats.
If you want to get something from the top shelf of the closet, stand on your toes and stretch up as high as possible. Even if you don't get what you need, this exercise will be very beneficial for your legs.
While doing homework while sitting, place your right foot on your left and try to raise the toe of your left foot as high as possible. Then switch legs.
While sitting on a chair, tense the muscles of your buttocks and thighs with all your might, hold this position for a few seconds, then relax the muscles.
By showing attention and care to your legs, you can avoid excessive fatigue and give your muscles increased tone.
We recommend several exercises that will increase blood flow in your legs.
Exercise 1 . Run in place for 1-2 minutes. It is much more effective to perform this exercise on a treadmill.
Exercise 2 . Lying on your back against a wall, raise your legs at a right angle and lean them against the wall. Fix your body in this position for 2-3 minutes.
Exercise 3 . Lying on your back, bend and straighten your knees. Repeat the exercise 10 times.
Exercise 4 . Stand on your heels and walk on them for 1 minute.
Exercise 5 . Holding onto a support, make 10 circular swings with each leg.
Exercise 6 . Leaning slightly and holding your knees with your hands, rotate your knees first in one direction, then in the other. Perform the exercise 15 times in each direction.
Exercise 7 . Perform 10 jumps, trying to land on your toes after each jump.
Exercise 8 . Holding onto a support, place your feet wider than your shoulders and turn the toes of both feet inward. Do 10-15 squats.
Exercise 9 . Holding onto the support, lift your straight legs back as high as possible.
After gymnastics you need to take a shower or bath. Now that the muscles are warm, you can massage.
Foot massage improves blood circulation, relieves swelling and fatigue. It is done with both hands, using a special massage cream.
Take a comfortable position while sitting on a chair or armchair. Place one foot on the knee of the other leg. Using your palms, knead your feet from the tips of your toes to the ankle joint. Using your thumbs, rub powerful circular motions across the entire sole. Then perform massage movements with your fingers, vigorously kneading them.
Now you can massage your calf muscles by vigorously rubbing them. Next, massage the outer and inner thighs.
We should not forget that you can massage the lower leg only if there are no varicose veins, thrombosis and other similar diseases.
Finish the foot massage by rubbing with a terry towel or a special massage brush.
In order to improve heat exchange and stimulate blood circulation, you can use hot foot baths. By adding sea or table salt to the bath, you will make it much more effective.
Varicose veins are one of the most common diseases among the female half of the population. It is characterized by swelling of peripheral veins under the skin. Most often this phenomenon is observed on the lower extremities.
With varicose veins, the valve apparatus is destroyed, resulting in a disturbance in the outflow of blood.
Blood circulates in the human body from bottom to top. Valves contribute to this. When they close, there is a push of blood that causes it to rise up to the other valve. The opening and opening of such valves occurs in an alternating order, which allows blood to continuously move through the blood vessels.
With varicose veins, this process is disrupted. Nodules form in the veins, which prevent blood from moving upward. As a result, it stagnates and high pressure forms in the blood vessels.
Such disorders lead to expansion of the vein walls. Their edges are pressed against the skin, making them visible to the naked eye. And the more the vein is stretched, the more it appears through the skin.
This disease is very common. It is diagnosed in every 4 patients. The main factor that provokes varicose veins is insufficient development of connective tissue. The situation worsens when exposed to other negative factors. This explains why there are so many women among patients with this disease, because hormonal changes often occur in their bodies.
Dilated veins in the legs have pronounced symptoms. It is simply impossible not to notice them. And if you do not consult a doctor in a timely manner and begin treatment for the disease, there is a high probability of complications developing. However, if a person seeks help from a doctor in time, he has every chance of a full recovery, even without resorting to surgery.
The main reason for the development of varicose veins is excessive stress on the legs, which occurs against the background of prolonged standing (this disease is especially often observed among doctors and sellers), as well as the appearance of excess weight, including during pregnancy. Often, varicose veins occur due to wearing tight stockings and socks, as well as as a result of congenital weakness of connective tissues.
But besides these reasons, there are others. This disease has been known for a long time, and therefore scientists began studying it many decades ago. It showed the following:
This is not the entire list of reasons why varicose veins may occur. In most cases, people themselves are to blame for the appearance of this disease by eating “bad” foods, not engaging in debate, and being overweight. Very rarely, this condition occurs as a result of a negative impact on the veins of internal factors, that is, other diseases. And in order to clarify the exact cause of the disease, you should undergo a comprehensive examination at a medical center.
The symptoms of enlarged veins in the legs are as follows:
The most important symptom of varicose veins is the appearance of blue stripes (veins) on the skin. They can occur not only in the popliteal area or on the back of the legs. If a person is overweight or has excess leg hair, the blue stripes may be less pronounced.
The affected veins are easily palpable. If you touch them with your fingers, you can notice their density and tortuosity. At the same time, if you lay the patient on the bed and raise his legs, the manifestations of varicose veins disappear. But as soon as he assumes a vertical position, the venous network appears again.
Patients with varicose veins experience heaviness in the legs, which is accompanied by dull and aching pain, as well as night cramps. A burning sensation in the veins mainly appears after prolonged physical activity.
All these symptoms bring great discomfort to a person’s life. Moreover, if this disease is not treated, all its manifestations will only intensify. After some time, the skin becomes dry, acquires a bluish tint, and swelling occurs more and more often.
Varicose veins are very dangerous. Its progression can lead to:
If the patient has an elevated body temperature and decreased performance, this may indicate the development of complications. Nodules that form in blood vessels can occasionally burst, causing bleeding. But such phenomena most often occur at night, when a person is in a state of complete rest. Such bleeding causes bruises on the legs.
As you already understand, varicose veins are a serious disease that cannot be ignored. If you treat it negligently, then there is a high risk of complications:
The most dangerous disease on this list is thrombophlebitis. It is characterized by painful sensations in the legs, redness of the skin and thickening. The progression of this disease leads to the development of varicothrombophlebitis, and then its transformation into lebothrombosis.
The latter covers the entire system of deep veins and leads to the development of thromboembolism of the pulmonary arteries. All this can cause gangrene and the need for amputation of the lower extremities. Therefore, when the first symptoms of varicose veins occur, you should not delay visiting a doctor.
It is always much easier to prevent a disease than to treat it. The same applies to varicose veins. The main thing you need to remember is:
At the same time, do not forget about sports. It helps strengthen the walls of blood vessels and prevents the development of varicose veins. Ideal for walking, cycling, swimming, running, etc.
A contrast shower is an ideal preventative against this disease. The same goes for massage. If, due to your professional activities, you have to be on your feet for a long time, then a massage of your calves and legs is simply necessary for you. It helps improve blood circulation, eliminate congestion, and strengthen the walls of the blood vessels themselves.
Treatment of varicose veins is a complex and lengthy process. If the patient consults a doctor on time, then he has every chance of getting rid of this disease within a short time. But if the disease progresses greatly and there are already various complications associated with it, then the patient will have to gain a lot of patience and strength. He has a difficult job ahead of him.
Modern medicine offers several ways to treat varicose veins:
The most effective treatment for varicose veins is surgery. During it, congestion is removed and blood flow is diverted through healthy veins. However, its use is also not always possible. If there are any complications, surgery can greatly harm the patient.
Therefore, no one except your attending physician can tell you exactly how to get rid of varicose veins after a thorough examination. And traditional methods of treating this disease are also ineffective. This requires an effect on the blood vessels both from the inside and outside.