Varicose veins are one of the most common circulatory diseases, especially among women. However, men can also have them.
Last update: 12 May, 2022
Generally, varicose veins are vein dilations that make proper blood circulation impossible. They can become a serious health problem if you don’t treat them properly. So, we will show some exercises for varicose veins below.
The exercises below are a huge help for preventing varicose veins from appearing. They can also help to improve the way they look if you have them already.
However, sometimes you should see a specialist. They are the person that will take proper care of you and give you a solution to this problem. The following recommendations are very simple and many of them can be done at home.
Effective exercises for varicose veins
Walking
One of the most common factors that causes varicose veins to appear is a sedentary lifestyle. Spending a lot of time sitting down or not moving your feet can cause circulatory problems. As time goes on, this can promote varicose veins. Therefore, one of the most useful and simplest recommendations is to do activities that keep your legs active.
Walking is of course an excellent idea. Walking everyday for at least a half hour is a huge help in getting blood to circulate properly. As a result, you’ll have less chances of having varicose veins.
As if that weren’t enough, walking is a great exercise to keep you in shape and control or reduce your weight as well. For that reason, it’s best to take a walk in a park or walk to the store whenever you can.
Stretching
Another useful and easy to do exercise is stretching. In this case, you just have to sit on a chair, and with your heels firmly supported on the floor, raise the tips of your feet, lower them, and then raise your heels.
In essence, this exercise imitates the movement that your feet do when you walk, but in this case, there is no shifting. Repeat this exercise 20 times on each foot.
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Biking
Biking or imitating this movement is also a great option. Evidently, this exercise can be done on a bike, whether it is stationary or normal, or with your back on the ground and feet up.
In the first case, you have the possibility to go for a ride or do more complex sessions like spinning. If you want to do this exercise at home, you should put your back on the ground and raise your legs to 45 degrees and imitate the movement you do when you pedal.
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Turning
Lastly, doing circular movements with your legs up is a huge help in preventing varicose veins. In this case, you should put your back on the ground and raise your legs at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. Turn your leg, making circular movements clockwise. After 20 or 25 repetitions, do the same thing with the other leg.
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Hiatt, W. R., Regensteiner, J. G., Hargarten, M. E., Wolfel, E. E., & Brass, E. P. (1990). Benefit of exercise conditioning for patients with peripheral arterial disease. Circulation. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.CIR.81.2.602
This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.
