Gym and Varicose Veins

Exercise to Prevent Varicose VeinsWe all know that excess weight produces extra stress on our legs, which in turn leads to development of varicose veins. On the one hand, fight against excess weight is a step forward in getting rid of varicose veins. On the other hand, weight loss often requires physical exercising like jogging, fitness, aerobics, while some of those exercises are not recommended for people with varicose veins. Strength training in this case helps, but has to be done in caution.

Development of Varicose Veins

Varicose veins develop slowly. At first, the skin pigmentation changes, it becomes dry, and some brown spots appear. As the disease progresses, trophic disorders appear in the form of poorly healing cuts, which look like eczema or ulcers. Pain appears in the second half of the day. Furthermore, as the varicose veins keep on developing, the size of the veins increases, as well as the forms change, and elasticity declines.

Consult a Doctor before Gym

If the disease is at its early stage, then gym is the place where you will be assisted by instructors, who will treat your leg muscles with care and will help your veins as well. However, make sure to consult your doctor before signing up for a gym, especially if you notice that swelling does not go away even after you take rest.

Best Exercises for Varicose Veins

Exercises in the swimming pool are the most appropriate type of workout under the conditions of this disease, since this type of sport exerts minimal amount of stress on legs. Gym workouts are also acceptable; you can turn to both aerobic and weight-lifting exercises. Aerobic exercises will rid you of excess weight, while weigh-lifting will strengthen your muscles. When choosing the training machines, pick the ones which exert the least amount of stress on veins. A horizontal bike is a good choice. Lying leg raises are also acceptable for people with varicose veins. Treadmill can be used in moderate amount, and only with the doctor’s permission. Try to pay a lot of attention to stretching and make sure to do good warm-up at the beginning of the workout. Yoga and Pilates also do wonders for people with this type of disease.

Exercises to Avoid with Varicose Veins

Those having varicose veins should avoid exercises with step-platforms, intensive aerobics, and jumps as part of workout. They should also avoid squats with weights and any other type of weightlifting where legs play important role.

Source of the image: ucdmc.edu.

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Posted by GenXXL Staff on Mar 5th, 2009 and filed under Man's Health, Woman’s Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response by filling following comment form or trackback to this entry from your site

2 Responses for “Gym and Varicose Veins”

  1. Michael says:
    March 9, 2009 at 11:49 am

    I’ve been trying to get rid of those veins for years, have been self conscious over them for a while, will try this out, thanks a lot!

    Reply
  2. BodyMuscul says:
    June 28, 2010 at 5:40 am

    Good posting, thank you so much !

    Reply

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