Maintaining healthy veins can be confusing. Are you standing too much?
What about sitting?
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How do you get rid of varicose veins?
Doesn’t healthy circulation require giving your legs a rest?
But I thought you were supposed to move them around to get the blood flowing?
The keyword to vein health is circulation. When blood is moving through veins easily, you’re in good shape. That said, sitting and standing can both be detrimental.
If you spend all day on your feet, it makes sense to sit down for a while when you can. If you spend a lot of the day sitting, you’d be well-served to get up and move around a little more.
Regardless of how you spend your days, here are a few sitting techniques to promote vein health and reduce the risk for varicose veins.
Put your legs up: Whether you’re sitting or standing, gravity puts plenty of pressure on your legs. The uphill battle veins face can become challenging and potentially cause varicose veins. Putting your legs up can offer some relief.
Stack pillows on an ottoman to get leg veins on the right side of gravity. You can also bring them up on the sofa with you or lay down.
Avoid crossing: Some experts crossing your legs can lead to circulation problems. Crossing legs can apply pressure to the back of the legs, potentially constricting blood vessels. Keep feet flat on the floor or well elevated.
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Small exercises whole sitting: Staying stationary for extended periods is no good—particularly if you’re sitting. If movement is difficult, consider investing in a peddling apparatus you can use while sitting. If you can, get up each hour to walk around and stretch.
Don’t sit for too long: Sitting for too long can impair circulation that could lead to varicose veins. In fact, sitting may be the biggest contributor to vein problems. Getting up for a walk every hour or so can prevent blood from pooling and keep veins limber.
Hopefully, that helps you cut through some of the conflicting information about vein health. Take a look at your lifestyle and see how these sitting suggestions may help.
Mohan Garikiparithi got his degree in medicine from Osmania University (University of Health Sciences). He practiced clinical medicine for over a decade before he shifted his focus to the field of health communications. During his active practice he served as the head of the Dept. of Microbiology in a diagnostic centre in India. On a three-year communications program in Germany, Mohan developed a keen interest in German Medicine (Homoeopathy), and other alternative systems of medicine. He now advocates treating different medical conditions without the use of traditional drugs. An ardent squash player, Mohan believes in the importance of fitness and wellness.
