Looking for workouts recommended for varicose veins?
If you suffer from varicose veins, you already know how painful it is. Besides being visually unpleasant, they can cause a ton of other issues; sometimes people who suffer from this condition end up in surgery. Research shows that this condition affects about 25% of women and 15% of men, and as you may know, as we age, we are more prone to developing it. However, varicose veins can also be hereditary.
The good news is that there are some workouts recommended for varicose veins that can help you soothe the symptoms and feel better. Doctors recommend starting slowly with any kind of exercise and picking up the intensity when you’re comfortable.
Walking more than usual is a fantastic way to start your fitness routine if you’ve never done it before. Let’s see what the best workouts are recommended for varicose veins:
Lunges
Lunges are by far one of the best workouts recommended for varicose veins. Your heart receives more blood when your leg muscles are used. Your heart works harder as a result, preparing it to perform the vital function of pumping blood throughout your body.
The best way to do lunges is to stand with your legs apart in the ideal lunge stance. With your knee bent and positioned just above your ankle, take a gradual step forward. After holding it, carefully extend your leg and return to your starting position. Continue with the opposite leg. Lift yourself on your tiptoes and then bring yourself back down while maintaining a straight leg position. Repeat.
Start slowly, and never do more than 3 or 4 lunges for each leg in the beginning. It may cause a bit of discomfort, especially if you are not used to this type of exercise. Take it easy and listen to your body because nobody is rushing you.
Calf raises
This is a bit more difficult to do, but not impossible! Being among the workouts recommended for varicose veins, calf raises help move the blood, which leads to better circulation in your lower legs.
The blood in your lower legs is also moved when you lift your heels off the ground by using your calf muscles. This is an activity that you can easily do either sitting or standing at various points during the day. One to ten calf lifts at a time should be the goal.
Ankle rotations
If you have to spend a lot of time sitting still on a chair because of your job and you have issues with varicose veins then you should stretch and move your ankles throughout the day as much as possible. This can improve circulation throughout your lower body by encouraging blood to continue flowing through your legs, into your feet, and into your back.
Turn your ankles to make little circles with your feet, then turn the other way throughout the rotations. Repeat the movement a couple of times.
Are you looking to jump-start your active life? Then you need a yoga mat! This will help you perform each exercise without being afraid you will slip on the floor. Because of its non-slip surface, you can do anything from yoga to calf raises, lunges, or any other exercise. It’s available on Amazon for the amazing price of $14.99.
Climb the stairs (at least) once a day
If you are living in an apartment building, you may be tempted to take the elevator. Especially if you are living somewhere near the top. When possible, take the stairs rather than the escalator or elevator. For a better effect, try to squeeze the leg muscles when you go up the stairs.
Ride a bicycle
Riding a bike is awesome, especially during the summer or spring when the weather allows us to enjoy more of nature. If you don’t know how to ride a bike or don’t have one, a stationary bike can also do the job.
Your calf muscles become stronger as a result, aiding in the proper direction and pumping of blood out of your legs. Stretch your legs out in front of you, knees bent, while on your back. Go carefully on them, like you’re riding a bicycle. Try alternating one leg at a time or both at once.
If you don’t have a stationary bike either, lie on your back with your legs bent a bit. Then pedal in the air like you are riding an invisible bike.
Walking
Yes, walking! The optimal amount of walking time per day is around 30–40 minutes, and of course, if you can and your health condition allows you to, you can aim for 60–70 minutes. You can also do some light jogging around the neighborhood. It would be better if you found an area covered by grass to minimize the impact on your joints.
Swimming
Swimming is a great way to unwind after a long day, improve blood circulation, and aid with varicose veins. Since swimming does not require you to bear your weight on your joints and bones, it is an excellent low-impact aerobic activity, especially for seniors.
If you have access to a pool and are new to this, you may start slowly by alternating between 30 seconds of exercise and 30 seconds of rest. You can extend the length of your swim or the number of laps you swim as you get more comfortable.
Stretching
Stretching is usually recommended before an intense workout because it allows your muscles to relax and get in shape for the exercises you plan on doing. Lunges: the exercises we’ve mentioned before are a type of stretching that helps a lot if you have varicose veins.
Additionally, you may perform a normal forward fold by bending over from the hips, reaching the crown of your head towards the ground, and, if necessary, bending your knees while lying on your back with your legs resting on a wall placed above your head.
Side squats are a type of stretching exercise that targets the muscles of the legs and glutes. They can be performed before doing lunges.
Yoga
Yoga is a great type of exercise that helps improve both your mental and physical health. The great thing about yoga is that everybody can do it, no matter how old or young you are. It is highly recommended for seniors.
Don’t worry if you’re a bit stiff, because yoga involves stretching and holding various positions while you are also focused on breathing correctly. Start with simple movements, then challenge yourself with some complicated positions.
Bottom line:
While exercise can help quite a lot, medical intervention may be necessary to get the best results for treating varicose veins. You should also ask your doctor what kinds of workouts are appropriate for you if your illness is quite advanced.
See your doctor about the many varicose vein treatments that are available; most of them don’t need much if any, recovery time. Based on your needs and financial situation, select the best type of therapy.
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