Most often, the cause of tingling, heaviness and swelling of the legs and their cramps in the evenings is obstructed venous circulation. Veins begin to perform their function poorly: they expand, blood stagnates, water and toxins accumulate in the surrounding tissues. Venous insufficiency is often hereditary and manifests itself with age, during hormonal surges, when you gain weight, eat incorrectly or lead a sedentary lifestyle. To solve the problem with varicose veins, you should take care of prevention on all fronts at once.
1. STRENGTHEN THE LEG MUSCLES
If the muscles are weakened, the veins dilate. And vice versa — the muscles in tone reduce the diameter of the veins. Nothing can strengthen the veins and relieve the heaviness from the legs better than physical activity — walking, cycling, swimming.
2. WE USE VEIN TONING PRODUCTS
They contain extracts of plants — dicotyledonous ginkgo, Indian chestnut, black grapes and cypress. Plant extracts are also present in a huge number of food additives. They cannot affect the diameter of the veins and even more so cure varicose veins, but they increase blood flow, tone the vessels and bring some relief to tired legs. If you feel heaviness in your legs, take a course of treatment with one of these remedies. Do not use several of them at once.
3. APPLY A CREAM FOR TIRED FEET
Most of these creams contain menthol, which has a refreshing effect, and extracts of venotonizing plants. They enhance the effect of medications and quickly bring relief. Apply the cream on your feet in the morning after a shower with massaging movements, from the foot to the knee, and during the day — directly on tights.
4. WE WEAR COMPRESSION TIGHTS
They are recommended if the legs swell by the end of the day, or during pregnancy. These tights reduce the pressure on the foot and lower leg and fight the expansion of veins. You need to put them on in a lying position, slightly lifting your legs.
5. WE DO GYMNASTICS FOR BLOOD VESSELS
It is aimed at facilitating venous blood flow. One of the most effective exercises is to lift the foot at an angle of 45 degrees to the ankle. Standing on your heels, place your toes on a book about 10 cm thick. Make sure that you have a straight back and maintain this position for a few seconds.
6. WE DO FOOT MASSAGE
At the end of the day or after a long trip in the car, by train or after a flight, if your legs hurt and swell, massage them using a cream or gel «for tired legs». These remedies have a double beneficial effect: they not only immediately refresh thanks to the menthol, lemon and camphor contained in them, but also relieve pain and a feeling of heaviness in the legs with the help of plant extracts that have a drainage effect and weaken blood flow, such as red wine, medicinal chamomile, grape seeds, as well as Indian chestnut. Always apply them, lightly massaging the legs, in the direction from the feet to the hips.
To stimulate the lymphatic system and improve blood circulation, start with stroking movements in the direction from the ankles to the hips, along the outer and inner surfaces of the legs (5 times). Stretch the muscles on the hips, in their upper part and on the side. Then massage the hips with stroking movements from the knee up, alternating hands. Lightly, not too often, tap your fingertips on the outside of your thighs. Having gathered your fingers together, massage the area around your knees with light pressure in circular movements. And finally, mash the calves with both hands, slightly pulling the muscle away from the bone. Finish with stroking movements on the outer and inner surfaces of the legs, as at the beginning.
To strengthen the hips. Massage your legs from the bottom up, from the knee to the hip. Place your hands flat, thumb on the hip, the rest on the side to cover the entire area completely.
For beautiful knees. Massaging movements are performed with the middle fingers, on both sides of the kneecap. The thumbs rest on the legs just above the knees. Tap and swipe up along the contour of the kneecap. Then go again in the same direction with spiral movements from the bottom up, around the knee.
7. WE CARRY OUT WATER PROCEDURES
Under the shower
Massage your feet with a stream of cool water from the shower, keeping it at a distance of 10 cm from the skin, from the big toe to the inside of the knee. Then transfer the jet to the outside of the knee and massage the leg downwards to the ankle.
In the bathroom
Sit in the tub with your legs stretched out. Using a shower jet with cool water, make reciprocating movements from the ankles to the buttocks. Stop when the water level rises to the hips or better — to the waist.
On the beach
Walk along the seashore ankle-deep, knee-deep or thigh-deep in water. Water activates blood circulation and tones tissues, and also makes a beneficial massage.
8. WE ATTEND SALON PROCEDURES
Manual lymphatic drainage and pressotherapy are considered to be one of the most interesting techniques. Hardware anti-cellulite massage also brings good results − provided that drainage is used along the entire length of the leg. It is ideal to complement it with other methods. The care is completed by applying a special cream in the direction from the feet to the hips. Swelling disappears, legs become light.
9. WE ADJUST THE NUTRITION
If you want to have beautiful legs, you need to adhere to a balanced diet (35% protein, 15% fat and 50% carbohydrates).
Regularly include vitamin E in the menu. This powerful antioxidant promotes blood thinning and reduces the risk of thrombosis. Most vitamin E is found in nuts (almonds, hazelnuts) and vegetable oils (rapeseed, olive, walnut, sunflower).
Flavonoids. These substances from the family of polyphenols fight inflammation, dilute blood, promote narrowing of veins and strengthen the walls of blood vessels. They can be found in grapes, berries (black currant, mulberry, raspberry), in the peel of fruits, cabbage, parsley, turnips, spinach, broccoli and tea.
Potassium. It has a drainage effect. Thanks to it, it is possible to avoid accumulation of salt and swelling in the tissues. It is found in dried apricots, almonds, artichokes, asparagus, bananas, watercress, spinach, fennel, poultry liver, grapefruits, parsley, pears, pistachios, apples, grapes.
Vitamin C. Is necessary for the production of collagen, is indispensable for strengthening body tissues. It can be found in fresh vegetables and fruits.
