How can I strengthen my veins?
The veins in our legs perform strenuous work without a break because they pump the oxygen-poor blood upwards from our feet and legs back towards the heart. In order for this process to flow unhindered, the veins need active support. Here we suggest a few simple tips on how you can strengthen your veins in everyday life.
Why should I strengthen my veins anyway?
The venous system, especially the one in the legs, works extremely hard day in, day out. That is something that many people are not aware of when they sit all day in the office and in the evening lie comfortably on the sofa. But in fact, the veins in your legs transport between 7,000 and 10,000 litres of blood every day upwards against gravity towards your heart. An enormous effort which only strong veins can perform without any problems.Weak veins, on the other hand, stretch over time. The walls of the veins lose elasticity and dilate. More and more blood backs up in the legs because its onward transportation no longer functions effectively. If the venous valves then do not close sufficiently, the blood which was pumped upwards drops back down again – the best conditions for venous diseases such as varicose veins, chronic venous insufficiency and vein thrombosis.
9 tips for strengthening your veins
An active, healthy lifestyle is the best prerequisite for healthy leg veins. Here you will find a few simple tips on how you can structure your day in a vein-friendly way without too much effort.
- Sport and movement: every movement of your legs is good because the muscle contraction gives the impulse to the muscle pump, which transports your blood upwards. Every tensing of the calf muscles supports the vein function and that is why the following types of sport are excellent training for your veins:
- Walking
- Jogging
- Cycling
- Swimming
- Dancing
- Gymnastics
- Yoga
- Even short walks around the block, to the baker’s or to work help veins with their demanding task and, in addition to that, keep your whole body fit. Walking up stairs activates the calves, as too does walking on the spot or rocking on tiptoes. Even small amounts of movement can strengthen your veins on a daily basis – it doesn’t always have to be sport.
- Vein gymnastics: some exercises for feet and legs are specifically for training veins and should be incorporated in daily life as a preventive measure. You don’t even have to put time aside to do vein gymnastics. The small exercise units can be easily completed when standing or seated and only last a few minutes:
- Vein gymnastics when seated: sit upright and place your feet flat on the floor. Then raise your heels so that only your toes are touching the floor. Next, unroll your feet again and repeat the exercise 20 times. After that, only raise your toes from the floor, leave your heels on the floor and unroll your foot again, also for 20 times.
- Vein gymnastics when standing: when you are standing you can also raise your heels from the floor and stand on your tiptoes. Raise and lower your heels for 20 times. You can also walk on the spot, alternating left and right. For additional activation of your leg muscles, alternately raise your right and then your left knee.
- Put your feet up: although you do not strengthen either your muscle pump or the vein walls when you put your feet up, you do in fact make it easier for your veins to do their job and you give them a little break. Because when you put your feet up, the blood can flow from your legs on its own. Anyone who has to stand or sit a lot at work should regularly relieve their veins and simply put their feet up on a chair every now and then. Even after work on the sofa, you can also put your feet up against the wall, or raise them on several cushions.
- Hot and cold contrast showers: vessels expand in warmth and contract in cold. This effect can be applied to vein training, e.g. by taking daily contrast showers. The cold-warm contrast keeps the vein walls elastic and stimulates circulation. Regular Kneipp cures are also recommended.
- Nutrition: a balanced diet with freshly-prepared meals of fruit, vegetables and whole food products is fundamentally important for your health – your body, including the connective tissue and venous system, needs an adequate supply of vitamins, minerals and trace elements to be able to function. Excess weight is also a risk factor for various venous diseases and should be avoided where possible.
- Drinking: your body needs sufficient water every day so that your circulation functions unhindered and all parts of your body and organs are well supplied. The less fluids you consume, the thicker your blood will be and accordingly the slower it will flow. The right amount of water or unsweetened tea supports the health of your veins and makes transporting blood easier. Having said that, alcohol and coffee should only be consumed in moderation.
- Flat shoes: wear flat shoes rather than high heels because when the whole of the foot rolls, the muscles in the calf have more to do, which stimulates blood flow. In addition to that, try and walk barefoot or in socks as much as possible.
- Medicines: in order to strengthen blood vessels, medicines can be considered which contain the active ingredient Troxerutin, which is in Veno SL® 300. Troxerutin also improves the blood’s fluidity and hinders the formation of water retention in tissue. Once vein problems arise, it may be that additional treatment is required.
- Compression stockings: if there have already been cases of weak veins or varicose veins in the family, it is recommended to wear compression stockings as a precaution. The pressure from the tight-fitting stockings supports the veins from outside. At the first appearance of symptoms, you should nonetheless consult a doctor for advice.
The sooner you start with preventive measures, the better your veins will be prepared for old age, as venous disorders such as swollen legs and spider veins already afflict many people in their younger years and should be taken seriously as an early indication of venous insufficiency.