Venous exercises
Tips to relief symptoms of varicose veins
Avoid standing for long periods of time, if you have to, alternate standing on your toes for a few seconds repeatedly. This will reduce pressure on the valves in the veins in your legs. If you are pregnant of if your occupation puts a lot of stress on your legs, wear support stockings.
While standing, get on your tip-toes by lifting your heels off the floor. Do this twenty times, relax for a few minutes, then repeat. This exercise will strengthen your calf muscles and promote circulation.
Your job or hobby may be the cause of your varicose veins. If you have to stand or sit too long in one position, this may cause circulatory problems. Crossing your legs may greatly enhance your problem, too. Try changing your work or sitting conditions and take the mini-breaks mentioned above. Varicose veins did not happen overnight and alleviating them will take time, too. Be patient.
Heat dilates blood vessels so the veins are more visible after hot showers or baths. Try cool, quick showers morning and evenings instead of hot soaks. Cold compresses can also temporarily hide veins.
Elevating your feet whenever possible will reduce the pressure in your legs. Use a recliner when reading or watching TV, or if you read in bed, elevate your feet with cushions or pillows.
Weight may also be a problem. Exercise and dietary changes to lose weight will be very beneficial to relieving varicose veins.
Rubbing your legs with some sort of soothing lotion such as St John's wort oil, lanolin, or massage oil will relax the leg muscles and improve circulation. Gently massaging with an upward motion with your palms or fingertips and occasionally squeezing your legs will help force blood out of the veins in your legs and back to the heart.
Dietary Changes to Make
Constipation aggravates varicose veins. Although it may initially be hard to see the connection, let us explain. Constipation may restrict the blood as it returns to the torso through the deep veins in the legs. Straining to have a bowel movement closes off the veins. As the blood backs up it takes another course through superficial veins, thus the blue streaks in the legs. As part of our recommended wellness program, we suggest a diet low in fats and refined carbohydrates, and high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. This diet promotes health for the entire body, and, in the case of constipation, the high-fibre diet promotes regularity.
Some people recommend going on a juice diet one day a week to improve regularity.
As part of dietary changes a program to lose weight will greatly help prevent or ease varicose vein problems. Carrying too much weight creates extra pressure on your heart and interferes with circulation.
Exercise
As with any wellness program, exercise is an important component. Exercise helps promote circulation and improves muscle tone. People with varicose veins need to have moderate exercise as opposed to more strenuous forms, such as high-impact aerobics, jogging, strenuous cycling or other activities that increase the blood pressure in the veins. Walking, weight training, low-impact aerobics and swimming are a few of the preferred means of exercise, but anything that helps shift your weight or standing or sitting position will help. If you have a bad problem, take short breaks several times a day and walk around and stretch.
Clothing
Clothing that is too tight, including shoes or boots, will restrict circulation and may be the cause of your varicose veins by not allowing the blood to properly flow through your body. Snug fitting girdles, pantyhose, belts, and boots and shoes, especially high-heels, cut off circulation, thus forcing blood to seek alternative routes or causing back-pressure on the veins. Support hose, on the other hand, helps promote circulation. Make sure it is the kind that is tighter at the ankles, gradually decreasing the pressure as they get higher up the leg. If you can't find a good over-the-counter brand, they can be medically prescribed
Excercises
Ankle turns: Lift your feet off the floor and move your toes in a circle, one foot moving clockwise and the other foot moving counter clockwise. Change direction and repeat.
Foot lifts: Place your heels on the floor and bring your toes up as high as you can. Then put both feet back flat on the floor. Then pull your heels up while keeping the balls of your feet on the floor.
Knee lifts: While keeping your knee bent, raise your leg while tensing your thigh muscle. Repeat 20 to 30 times, alternating legs.
Knee to chest: Bend slightly forward. Fold your hands together around your left knee and pull it toward your chest. Hold this position for 15 seconds and let your knee drop slowly. Change legs and repeat.
Forward bends: Place both feet on the floor and pull your abdomen in. Bend slowly forward and "walk" your fingers along your shins to your ankles. Hold for 15 seconds and sit up slowly.
Upper-body stretch: Stretch both arms over your head. With your right hand, grab your left wrist and pull it slowly to the right. Hold for 15 seconds and change arms.