Tips to improve circulation in the legs
Although we spend the day proposing plans to do during the quarantine and I am half Instagram doing yoga and cakes, the truth is that most of us spend the day working on TV.
We did it before, only now there are no entrances and exits, races from one side to the other. Now is: sit down to work and that’s it. This situation of forced sedentary lifestyle can take its toll on the circulation of the legs and it is necessary to find a remedy.
Dr. Palma Fariñas, a vascular surgeon at the Ricart Medical Institute, with clinics in Valencia and Madrid, emphasizes the importance of maintaining activity while at home.
“To activate circulation we have to make the muscles of the legs work and, above all, press on the pump on the sole of the foot. The advisable thing is to walk and, although the space is limited, to exceed at least 5,000 steps a day ”.
When nobody sees you …
Perhaps this anomalous situation allows you to change some things in your favor, and in favor of your legs. You can take advantage of the fact that nobody sees you and that you work in a tracksuit (not to say in pajamas) -although you shouldn’t- to do something you can’t normally: raise your legs whenever you can. Of course, be careful with your posture because you can hurt your back.
Another tip of the doctor to activate the circulation of the legs is to perform superficial drainage self-massages. How? Making gentle circles from the bottom up, pressing gently on the most superficial tissue, and starting at the ankles.
You can also resort to some type of compression sock or stocking, especially for those who have significant vascular diseases.
Other recommendations
Dr. Beatriz Beltrán, internist, aesthetic doctor with a clinic in Barcelona insists that, in order to have good circulation, you must always start by maintaining the appropriate posture when you are in front of a screen. Take note:
-Your back should be straight, your shoulders back, and the top of the monitor should be at eye level.
-If you have to move your head to see the monitor, then you need to adjust the height of your screen
-Make sure your wrists are not on the keyboard or on the mouse
-Keep your legs bent at the knees so that they are slightly higher than your hips
-The feet must be on the ground or some type of stool
Two exercises
Whenever you want to activate circulation because you have spent a lot of time sitting, do these exercises:
-Rotations at rest: It is one of the universal and easiest recommendations to carry out. When sitting, try to incorporate an hourly rotation session with your ankles. They are very simple: just stretch your legs slightly and rotate both ankles at the same time, first outward and then inward. This way you will be able to activate the venous return.
-Toe feet: You can do the exercise of putting your feet on tiptoe while sitting. It should be done ten times every twenty minutes.
A pro-circulation shake
