Venous insufficiency refers to a condition in which blood from the limbs does not move properly back to the heart due to weakened valves. This often results in pooling of blood in the legs. This is usually caused by either blood clots or more often, by varicose veins.
To put it simply, the veins are unable to perform their proper function as required. The veins function to prevent backflow of blood. In the case when one is suffering from varicose veins, the blood can flow backwards resulting in the blood not flowing to the heart. Learn what vein disease is here
Now that we have understood the condition, it is necessary we look at the solutions. One of the factors that lead to venous insufficiency in inactivity. If you tend to sit or stand in the same position for long periods of time, you are at a higher risk of suffering from venous insufficiency.
This is important to note given that most people have jobs that confine them to an office where they are virtually in the same position all day. One of the best ways to treat venous insufficiency is to increase blood flow through exercise. Below are a few exercises that you can do to improve your blood flow.
1. Walking
This is the easiest one, anybody can do this. Don’t underestimate the power of walking. You’ll have doctors recommend that even a thirty-minute stroll will do wonders for your body. So, if you find that you don’t like running or rather engaging sports then set aside some time for a walk.
The trick here is to be consistent. You must decide, either a morning or an evening, allocate thirty minutes at least to go for a stroll. Once you make it a practise, you will realise how much you enjoy it and how good it is for your health.
2. Flexing
This one is pretty simple as well. It’s a good exercise for those who spend most of their day seated. So, what you should do here is extend your leg and then flex your foot back and forth. Its advisable to do these ten times on each leg. This helps increase blood circulation in the calves. If you are prone to sitting for extended periods, you should endeavour to do this every thirty minutes.
At first, you will need to be conscious of it, purpose to flex every thirty minutes. However, as you keep doing it your body will become quite used to it and you will find that you do it reflexively. The trick is to make it a habit.
3. Calf raises
Studies have shown that one of the major factors that contribute to venous insufficiency is weak calf muscles. Weakened calf muscles are as a result of sitting or standing in the same position for long periods of time. For this reason, it is of great importance to build calf muscles. There are two easy ways this can be done.
The first is to stand with your feet flat on the floor then come up to your toes. Do this around ten times, raise yourself up, come back down. The second way is to stand on one foot, then raise the other up. Do these ten times on each leg
4. Jogging
Jogging is one of those timeless, all round exercises. Its good as a full body workout for the simple fact that it gets your heartrate up. It’s also therapeutic in some way because it allows you to get out of your own thoughts and what might be stressing you for a while. A lot of people have a negative attitude towards jogging and running.
The trick here is to go at your own pace but don’t stop moving. What I usually recommend is to jog in intervals, however small. You can jog for 30 seconds, then walk for ten. Just enjoy it, because if you don’t enjoy it you won’t stick to it.
5. Cycling
Cycling is one of those joys we left in childhood that we shouldn’t have. Cycling is a good work out, a nice way to explore places and very good for your leg muscles. I would advise anybody to just have a bike. If you have a family, it’s a fun way activity to do as a family, just ride around your neighbourhood.
Even if you don’t have a family, you can get together with your friends, or your spouse and explore trails or something of the sort. You can even opt to do it at the gym, on the stationary bicycle.
6. Swimming
Swimming ranks as one of the best ways to exercise according to my view at least. The reason for this is that it works out almost all the muscles in the body. Another good reason, perhaps a bit shallower really, is that you don’t sweat. So, it’s a very good option for those who don’t like running, jogging or cycling cause of sweating under the sun.
Set aside thirty minutes of your day or at the very least, set side three days a week to go swimming. Do a couple of laps in the water and then dry off. It’s good for your body and quite relaxing after a hard day of work. The exercises above are what you need to deal with venous insufficiency.
Source:
- https://www.usaveinclinics.com/vein-clinics-vein-disease/
- https://www.healthline.com/health/venous-insufficiency
- https://www.livestrong.com/article/295047-exercises-to-help-venous-insufficiency/