When your veins expand and start to show under the skin and your legs start to hurt, your lifestyle deteriorates.Exercises for varicose veins of the legs will improve vascular tone, thereby alleviating the disease.
What are varicose veins
Varicose veins are a pathological (abnormal) phenomenon of dilation of veins, as a result of which cobwebs and blue-red meshes, or even bumpy nodes appear on the surface of the skin.
If someone close to you has varicose veins, you've heard them use the expression "pulling the veins."As you know, blood must rise through the veins of the legs, overcoming the force of gravity.The heart pushes it in with each contraction, and special valves inside the vessel prevent it from leaking out.They close after each heartbeat and prevent blood from flowing downward under the influence of its own weight.
With varicose veins, the walls of the veins expand and thin, the valves can no longer close and the proper movement of blood in the affected vessel is disrupted.The blood stagnates, the vessels rise to the surface of the skin and become very visible.And the stronger the varicose veins, the heavier and more extensive this picture will be.
At some point, there comes a “point of no return” where surgery is no longer possible.But before that you can help yourself with gymnastics and medications.
The most important thing is to protect yourself against the further development of varicose veins.You first need to figure out where it came from.
Causes of disease
All causes of varicose veins can be reduced to two: problems with the flow of blood from the vessels of the legs and weakness of the connective tissue in the walls of the blood vessels.
The first group of reasons can be eliminated quite simply, but the second is due to genetic characteristics and can only be tolerated.
The first group includes the following reasons:
- Cross-legged pose in a seated position.
- Prolonged adverse body position, such as crouching when working in the garden.
- Work standing for long periods of time.
- Trauma, systemic vascular diseases.
- Obesity.
As you can see, most of these reasons can be eliminated.In other words, exercise will be ineffective unless you break the habit of sitting cross-legged or reduce the weight.If varicose veins are caused by a genetic weakness of blood vessels, don't despair.Your feet will just need more attention.
So, let's find out what kind of load can be imposed on the muscles affected by this disease, whether it is possible to do squats with varicose veins and what other exercises exist.
Fight varicose veins with exercises
Physical activity is designed to improve blood circulation in diseased veins.This is of no use if the stage of varicose veins already requires surgery.But if the disease is just beginning, exercises will be very useful.
What not to do
You should not lift weights.Forget strength exercises for now, they will make your condition worse.Excessive strain can cause weak blood vessels to burst.
Here are some questions from people suffering from varicose veins and their answers:
- Is it possible to squat with varicose veins?You can squat with your own weight.But if the exercises are difficult for you, it is better not to do them even without a barbell.You can't squat with a barbell if you have varicose veins.
- Can you bench press?It is possible, but with caution it is better to wear special support stockings.You should be careful with exercises that directly work the leg muscles, such as deadlifts, squats, leg extensions, and leg curls.This is where we must limit ourselves.You cannot lift weights while standing.A light leg press will be helpful as you will be performing it in an inverted position.
- Veins are swollen after training, is it varicose veins?After visiting the gym, the veins become more pronounced and are visible on the surface.But we must distinguish varicose veins from labor veins.In the latter case, the veins are pushed towards the surface by the muscles, they are smooth, without knots or meshes.They are usually large and simple, bluish.Such veins appear on the athlete's body in the flexors of the legs, arms, chest and neck.It's good.If the vein is red or purple, thin, knotty and lined with a mesh, it is varicose veins.
- Aerobics – light exercises.Is this possible for varicose veins?Unfortunately, during aerobics, a person makes sudden movements and jumps.And it's better not to do that.Although in the early stages of varicose veins this does not matter.The main thing is to remove the heavy load.But in later stages, especially in case of thrombophlebitis, sharp movements are dangerous due to the detachment of a blood clot and their catastrophic consequences.
Be wary of anything that requires significant physical effort on your part: strength exercises, speed running, interval training.
What can and should be done
Exercises for legs with varicose veins differ in their dosed load.It is in fact gymnastics for the joints.On the one hand, it forces the muscles to contract, and on the other hand, it does not cause much tension.All exercises for varicose veins are aimed at increasing blood circulation in the legs.
The simplest leg exercise for varicose veins is to work with the feet.
This exercise is done as follows:
- Sit or lie down so that your feet are higher than your knees.
- You can place a soft but elastic cushion under your knees.
- Imagine that the tips of your toes are a hand.Draw an even circle with it.Drawing is carried out by moving the leg at the ankle joint.
- Pull the tip towards you, continue pulling it when you reach the limit.You will feel a slight pleasant warmth in the calf muscle and its stretch.
- After that, stretch your toes, lower your heels using the calf muscle.
- Turn your feet outwards, then towards each other.
- Try this exercise several times.
In other words, we actively rotate our feet, contract and relax our calves.We do this with our legs raised.This technique allows you to stretch the muscles below the knee while sitting on the sofa or lying in bed.
A series of exercises for the whole body
The following activity combines warming up the muscles and joints of the whole body and stretching.This is a simple and safe complex that improves blood circulation throughout the body.
Head and neck
Circle your head 10 times clockwise and the same number of times counterclockwise.
With each round, try to stretch.No need to hurry, prolong the pleasure.Feel the work of your neck muscles, enjoy it.
Then stretch your chin toward your chest 3 to 4 times and the back of your head toward your back the same number of times.
Let's move on to the upper shoulder girdle.
Arms, shoulders
Move your shoulders in circles forward and backward.We draw a circle efficiently and slowly, stretching the muscles!
Then we begin to describe circles in the same plane with outstretched arms.There is no need to speed up too much;a speed of 1.5 to 2 revolutions per second is sufficient.We inhale and exhale evenly, without holding our breath.
Then we lean our elbows against the body and draw a circle with brushes.In other words, the arm rotates at the elbow.
And the last step is to clench your fists and rotate them at the wrist.Next, we warm up the lower back.
Lumbar
Take the hands-on-sides pose.Start by using your lower back to twist right and left as many as 10 times.You can rotate in a row, or you can immediately do 10 times in one direction, then 10 times in the other.
After that, lean forward and backward.Then rotate your body clockwise and counterclockwise, keeping your legs in the same place.
Place your hands on your hips and make a few circles with just your hips.
Remember to work slowly at a constant speed.
Legs
Here you can squat 10 times slowly and without additional weight.This is one of two options for putting pressure on your legs, as you cannot squat with a barbell or do lunges.
The second option is the leg press in a machine with light weights.This will be more useful to you, since the work is done in reverse, which is very good in the case of varicose veins.
The rest of the leg exercises consist of various swings that do not load the calf area.On the press
To train your abs, you will need exercises that are performed lying on the floor on a fitball.It is not recommended to do hanging leg lifts on a horizontal bar, because at this time blood can stagnate in diseased veins.
Lying on your back, do leg lifts (in pairs or separately) on the press, on an exercise bike.
Crunches in various techniques are also safe while lying down.
Swimming
Swimming is an excellent form of physical activity for varicose veins.It is useful for leg muscles, nervous system, heart and immune system.Really a great activity!
Key recommendations
If we summarize all of the above in the form of brief recommendations, they will look like this:
- Do exercises against varicose veins, take long walks in comfortable shoes .
- Do not stay in one position for a long time, get rid of the habit of sitting cross-legged.
- Control your weight.
- Lead an active lifestyle to improve blood circulation
- If you are predisposed to varicose veins, any intense physical activity must be carried out in special tight anti-varicose stockings!
- After physical activity, let the blood flow freely from your legs.This is especially true for girls.Lie on a bed or sofa with your heels against the wall.You should lie down so that your feet are higher than your head.If you decide to take a nap for an hour or two, place bolsters under your heels and knees.Make sure your legs are positioned so that they are higher than your body.This will facilitate blood circulation in the lower limbs.
- Use cardio exercises in your workouts.This will improve your well-being and strengthen your cardiovascular system.