Best Ways to Exercise with Venous Insufficiency

Best Ways to Exercise with Venous Insufficiency

If you’ve been diagnosed with venous insufficiency then you have likely already been told by your doctor how important it is to stay active and maintain a healthy weight. Fortunately, staying active and maintaining a healthy weight typically go hand in hand, and there are a variety of things you can do to ensure that you take care of both, while also helping to alleviate some of the symptoms that are often experienced with venous insufficiency.

Stretching and Flexing
If you have venous insufficiency, then it is particularly important to both keep your legs strong and promote healthy circulation. For this reason, it should be obvious that exercises geared towards those with venous disease almost always focus on the lower extremities. Furthermore, the focus is generally on the muscles in the calves, as it is there that the force of gravity is greatest and veins must work the hardest in order to pump blood upwards towards the heart.

When it comes to exercising with varicose veins, however, you should start out slowly and gently and try not to exert yourself too much or place too much strain on your legs. Calf raises are an excellent way to strengthen calf muscles without placing too much strain on them, and can be performed with or without added weights. If your profession or frequent travel keeps you confined to a sitting position for long periods of time, extending your legs and flexing your feet periodically is an excellent substitute for calf raises.

Low-Impact Activities
There are also plenty of fun activities that you can take part in after your venous insufficiency diagnosis, though it’s still important to keep these activities as low-impact as possible. Bicycling, for instance, is a great way to promote circulation while being easy on the joints and allowing you to maintain control over the intensity of your work-out. Walking is another great work-out that is simple and easy to do, and allows you to pace yourself in both speed and distance to whatever level is most comfortable for you.

Furthermore, even walking and cycling can be difficult for some older seniors who have venous insufficiency, but there is one more option for you. Swimming offers an alternative that is non-weight bearing, and there are even a variety of aerobics classics that can be offered in this environment. No matter what you decide to do, signing up for a class or inviting friends to walk, cycle, or swim along with you can be fun for both staying in shape and keeping social as well.

No exercise or diet regimen should be adopted without first consulting with a qualified physician, and more specifically an experienced vein specialist who is familiar with your condition. To get on the right track today by contacting a vein specialist in Tampa who services the surrounding areas as well, call Dr. Zuzga of the West Florida Vein Center at (727) 712-3233.