Varicose veins are a common pathology in women over thirty years of age. It occurs in men, but much less often. Most often deployed in the lower extremities. Even if the outward manifestations of varicose veins are invisible, it can complicate the life of a sick person. Helps to relieve a painful condition with varicose veins of the lower extremities exercises specially selected by the doctor, and taking drugs that thin the blood.
Why does varicose veins occur?
In each case, the causes of the development of the disease are different. Here is a list of the most common:
- hereditary predisposition, weakness of the venous walls;
- thick blood due to malnutrition or chronic diseases;
- bad habits (alcohol abuse and smoking) extremely negatively affect the state of the venous wall;
- obesity: frequent standing on excess weight creates extreme stress on the veins;
- deficiency of vitamins and minerals (for the health of veins, a lack of iodine, selenium, magnesium, calcium, pyridoxine, nicotinic acid should not be allowed);
- permanent presence on the legs or a sedentary lifestyle (stagnation of blood in the veins occurs);
- pregnancy is often a decisive factor in the development of varicose veins due to a sharp increase in the weight of a woman.
Symptoms and characteristic signs of the disease
You can recognize the disease by the following symptoms:
- the appearance of nodules on the back and inner surface of the leg;
- translucent vessels and capillaries in the area of the knee joint;
- leg pain, burning and discomfort;
- increased leg fatigue;
- swelling of the feet and ankles;
- acute attacks in the knees: pain and burning;
- leg endurance decreases sharply.
For each person, the symptoms of varicose veins of the legs can be different. Most often, the intensity of symptoms in a woman is higher than in men. In some cases, the manifestation of the disease begins after pregnancy, since during this period the blood thickens and plus the excess weight increases sharply. How to treat varicose veins if pills are prohibited during pregnancy? Simple and effective exercise therapy exercises will help.
After childbirth, varicose veins may not be felt for a long time or may be manifested with rare symptoms of burning and fatigue of the extremities. The peak incidence occurs at the age of forty to fifty years.
Why are women sick more often
Men suffer from varicose veins in only one case: if there is a hereditary predisposition to thick blood and thin, fragile and sensitive to external stimuli walls of the veins. Even with a natural predisposition, the disease usually does not bring them as much inconvenience as women.
The hormonal background of a healthy woman is quite aggressive towards the venous walls. Plus, pregnancy always negatively affects the veins due to increased hCG (chorionic gonadotropin) and rapidly growing weight (serious load on the legs). As a result, by about forty years of age, 65% of the fair sex are diagnosed with varicose disease of the lower extremities.
Basic rules for doing exercises
Exercise therapy for varicose veins is an effective and safe method to alleviate the condition. Blood-thinning drugs cannot be taken on an ongoing basis, and alcohol-based drops (Eskusan, Varicocele) contribute to unnecessary stress on the liver and organs of the gastrointestinal tract. Gymnastics with varicose veins becomes a real salvation. Of course, the exercises will not be able to completely get rid of the bumpy veins under the skin (only surgery is capable of this). But they will perfectly relieve pain.
- Gymnastics with varicose veins should be done two to three hours after eating. It is difficult to do exercises on a full stomach. But in a hungry state, gymnastics will also be of little use - a tired body will require food, not stress.
- You should stock up on a bottle of water. All exercises are performed at a fairly intense pace, and a normal amount of water is very important. It should be drunk as soon as such a need arises.
- Excessive overwork is useless. Physical performance should be used to the maximum, but do not bring health to the state of "squeezed lemon."
- Gymnastics with varicose veins excludes athletics. Jumping rope, running, squats - such activities will not only not bring relief, but will provoke an increase in pain. It is necessary to choose those exercises that do not cause stagnation of blood in the lower extremities.
- You should breathe as deeply and freely as possible when doing the exercises. Ideal - to alternate chest and diaphragmatic breathing.
The Importance of Proper Workout
Before each set of exercises, you should perform a mini-warm-up. It is necessary in order to accelerate blood circulation and eliminate joint injuries.
- Feet shoulder width apart. Raise your arms, reach out, take a deep breath. As you exhale, lower your shoulders and arms, try to reach your feet with your fingers.
- Side slopes: perform smoothly and slowly. No sudden movements. Reach as deep as possible to the left, then to the right.
- Leans forward: try to reach your feet with your fingertips. Over time, flexibility will improve and reach elbows to the floor. This is possible if you carefully and honestly perform a warm-up before each exercise therapy session.
- Head rotations: reach with the left ear to the left shoulder and vice versa, then the chin to the chest, then make slow and smooth rotational movements from one shoulder to the other.
- Lunges with legs: alternately put either left or right knee forward. This will help stretch the back of the thigh. When performing lunges, it is important to ensure that the knee does not protrude beyond the toe. Otherwise, knee pain may increase.
Exercise "Bicycle"
This simple body movement is familiar to everyone since school physical education lessons. It is performed in a supine position. Exercise "Bicycle" should be done as follows:
- raise straight legs up, while the back and lower back are firmly pressed to the floor;
- lower one leg by 30-45 degrees and describe with it a semicircle, lifting it up again;
- simultaneously start moving with the other leg, also describing it with a semicircle;
- Repeat actions alternately, simulating cycling in the air.
Despite the apparent simplicity, the exercise is quite difficult. It gives an excellent load on the calves and quadriceps, while not loading the veins. Promotes acceleration of blood circulation.
Exercise "Scissors"
Gymnastics with varicose veins of the lower extremities would not be complete without this simple but effective exercise. “Scissors” give an excellent load to the rectus abdominis muscle. Accelerate blood circulation in the limbs, do not allow blood to stagnate in the veins.
Starting position - lying on your back. Raise alternately the straight left leg, then the right. In this case, the quadriceps and abdominal muscles will strain. Run at least ten times with each foot.
Exercise "Birch"
The benefits of this yoga asana are great. Although in our country this exercise is affectionately called "Birch", in fact it comes from India.
Starting position - lying on your back. Raise straight legs straight up. Depending on your physical capabilities, stretch your socks as high as possible. If it turns out, stand on your shoulder blades.
The benefit of the exercise "Birch" is the acceleration of blood circulation. Varicose veins develop because with a constant stay on the legs or with a sedentary lifestyle, blood stagnates in the veins. "Birch" is an ideal way to provoke an outflow of blood from the lower extremities.
Swing with varicose veins
Starting position - standing on all fours. Alternately wave your left and right foot, trying to get the heel of the working limb as far as possible.
Exercise “swing legs” helps to accelerate blood circulation. The tone of the veins improves. If you combine regular exercise with venotonics, the result will not be long in coming.
What is the duration of the exercise? Optimal - at least twenty to thirty times with each foot, at a fast pace. It takes about one minute. It is necessary to perform three to four approaches in order for the therapeutic effect to occur.
Hamstring Stretch
With varicose veins of the lower extremities, exercises must be completed by stretching. Particular attention should be paid to the hamstrings.
Sitting on the floor on the buttocks, stretch your arms as far as possible, and try to reach your feet with your fingertips. At this point, almost all women with varicose veins on their legs feel a slight pain in the knees. Do not be afraid of this: slight discomfort, on the contrary, indicates the correct performance of the stretch.
Twine for varicose veins
This question is of interest to many women with varicose veins on their legs. Is it possible to sit on the splits, will this condition of veins aggravate?
No, twine, both longitudinal and transverse, is an excellent exercise to improve the tone of the veins. The main condition is to sit on it gently and carefully. There should be no sharp pain and discomfort. Only in this case will the twine benefit. In no case should you sit on the splits if this is accompanied by sharp pain in the feet or knees.
Respiratory gymnastics with varicose veins
When performing exercises, one should not forget about breathing. There is even a special system for yogis - pranayama. This teaching focuses on the importance of pace and depth of breath. You should breathe as deeply and freely as possible when doing the exercises. Ideal - to alternate chest and diaphragmatic breathing.
- Breast breathing is practiced when performing intensive exercises. In this case, a deep breath is taken, the chest rises. The exhalation is sharp, during its implementation the chest crashes sharply.
- Diaphragmatic breathing is the implementation of inhalations and exhalations with the connection of the abdomen. On inhalation, it increases in size; on exhalation, it falls off.
Yoga, Pilates, callanetics - these are the types of physical activity that are shown to women and men with varicose veins of the lower extremities.
Yoga Tips: How to Reduce Varicose Veins
How to treat varicose veins, if the methods of official medicine for one reason or another are not suitable? Blood thinners are toxic to the liver and internal organs. Therefore, reception without a break is impossible. Simple yoga tips on how to get rid of manifestations of varicose veins will be especially effective at its first stage.
- Drink enough water - at least one and a half liters per day.
- Fresh and berries and fruits should be present in the diet daily. It is necessary to saturate the body tissues with ascorbic acid to the maximum. To do this, lean on eating citrus fruits.
- Give at least twenty minutes daily to exercises and asanas. Before the start of gymnastics, you should perform a light warm-up, at the end - a hitch.
- Stretching must be done very carefully so that it does not cause pain.
- In parallel with the exercise, you should monitor your breathing. Saturation of blood cells with oxygen is an important point that will help to avoid density and the formation of blood clots, nodes, excesses.