7 remedies (and more) to know to relieve your heavy legs
Tired of having feet like posts as soon as summer or your period arrives? Men or women, the feeling of heavy legs is a daily battle when you have poor blood circulation .
Tingling, burning sensation or swelling of the calves and ankles... These symptoms of heaviness in the legs should not be taken lightly. Because, poorly controlled, this venous insufficiency can create nasty varicose veins or phlebitis... To avoid disaster, follow our anti-swollen legs remedies . Let's go !
Why do we have heavy legs and swollen feet?
Swelling of the lower limbs is, generally speaking, due to a single factor: dysfunction of the venous system. In fact, poor performance of the valves is enough to generate impatience, cramps or swollen ankles.
Less dilated, these anti-reflux valves allow blood to stagnate in the lower body. If this problem arises regularly in the case of chronic venous diseases, other external circumstances can also develop this venous imbalance.
- Hormonal variation: During periods of menstruation, pregnancy or in treatment of menopausal women, the estrogen level increases and impacts the permeability of the vessels. As a result, blood circulates with difficulty and ends up stagnating in the lower part of the legs.
-
Sedentary lifestyle: standing for too long or sitting behind the desk for hours, these new prolonged postures are not natural for the human body. The lack of movement thus makes the fight against gravity more difficult.
-
Age: veins, like our cells, age over the years. This degradation slows down their proper functioning and therefore good blood circulation.
-
Heat: Summer sunburn or overexposure to a high temperature source dilates your blood vessels and causes swelling in the legs.
-
Excess weight: if the reduction in physical activity is one of the results of obesity and therefore the lack of nervous impulses, the excess of fatty tissue increases the pressure in the legs and veins and reduces the return venous.
Do you recognize yourself in any of these cases? Do not panic. There is no fatality if you apply easy solutions against this discomfort.
How to promote good blood circulation in the legs?
Sometimes it doesn't take much to make your legs deflate . At home or outside, simple gestures are enough to restart circulation.
For blood to circulate between our feet and the heart, we sometimes have to help it...
-
Get moving , that’s the basics! By doing a sporting activity or just taking a few regular steps during the day, you restart blood flow to the base of the feet. But be careful to favor actions that do not stress the arch of the foot too much, such as swimming, cycling or hiking.
-
Using compression stockings or socks helps support the wall of your veins. By exerting greater pressure on the ankles than on the calf and upper leg, venous return is regulated.
-
In transport, it is less easy to move. However, it is possible to wander around for a few minutes during your car breaks. As for the plane, the pressure and heat must be evacuated via regular back and forths in the corridor. Also remember to do small flexion-extension or rotation movements of the ankles.
Easy tips to regain light legs at home
-
Choose comfortable clothing : forget shoes that fit your feet and jeans or leggings that are too tight, as they block blood circulation.
-
Soothe your feet and calves under cool water . During days at the beach or in the shower after your day at work, refresh your legs from the ankles to the knees. Also the little pleasures of hot baths, hammam or sauna which dilate your veins.
-
During your moments of relaxation or during the night, raise your feet up to 10 cm maximum using cushions or books under your mattress, at the end of the bed. This tilt facilitates blood circulation to the heart.
-
Massage your legs : this is a pleasant remedy! And a good excuse to treat yourself to a little moment of well-being. Quick and effective, massaging your legs from the bottom up will reboost the valves . For a triple effect, use a refreshing cream based on camphor or menthol and benefit from their soothing and decongestant properties.
-
Hygiene-dietary measures : we can never repeat it enough, but, in addition to exercising regularly, the body needs 1.5 L of water per day and a balanced diet. To properly drain tissues and nourish your muscles, consume good proteins, vitamin C and antioxidants that protect the vein walls.
Muscle stimulation to combat venous insufficiency
By encouraging you to walk, do smooth physical activity and bend, you work the calf and arch muscles. This continuous muscle stimulation acts like a blood pump and creates the pressure necessary for the blood to rise.
Based on this principle, other techniques play the role of circulatory stimulator.
-
Let’s take the example of foot reflexology ! By activating sensitive areas inside the foot, this therapeutic massage from Chinese alternative medicine connects your feet to the organs and muscles throughout your body. By reactivating blood flow, reduce your joint pain and the feeling of tired legs .
-
Neuromuscular electrostimulation : a process used in the medical and sports environment, this device alternately sends light electrical pulses at low frequencies which help the muscles to relax and contract. Thanks to transcutaneous neurotransmission, these actions act directly on the stimulation of blood flow in a way that is as practical as it is pleasant. For example, by placing yourself on this electrostimulation mat or by stickingremote-controlled patch electrodes on your calves!
As you will have understood, there are a multitude of solutions to revive your blood circulation, responsible for the feeling of heaviness and swollen legs . If some tips seem easier and more attractive, consulting a doctor and combining all these remedies promotes the cure of this pathology which, despite everything, affects more than 30% of adults.
