Get Off The Couch: Reduce Your Risk of Venous Disease

You don’t have to be an athlete or a hardcore fitness buff to keep your veins healthy. Simply changing a few bad habits that keep you immobile and horizontal can help you keep venous disease at bay.

Exercise While You Sit At Work

There are simple exercises you can do at work that can promote venous blood flow. Simple calf raises while seated activate the calf muscles to help pump the venous blood back toward the heart. Take a minute of two every hour to do 10 to 12 calf pumps. It is easy and you can do it right at your desk. Taking a walking break for some coffee or water, to check your in office mail box or to hand deliver a message are positive steps you can take, too. Stay as active as possible while you work.

Exercise While Watching Television

You don’t need a treadmill or stationary bike to get a good workout while watching your favorite TV shows or the nightly news. Simple floor stretches and walking in place can help improve your circulation, combat muscle fatigue, and help reduce your risk for venous disease. It can also help slow the progression of existing venous disease.

Walk While You Talk

If you take phone meetings or you just have the gift of gab, take your phone calls on the go. We all lament at how mobile phones are “ruining our lives,” but they have one very important benefit in that they don’t keep us confined. Take your phone call on a walk around the neighborhood, or just pace around the house or office while you talk. Plug in a Bluetooth and do some gardening while you chat, or hop on the treadmill. Think of other ways you can multitask your long phone calls. As long as you’re moving and using your muscles, your circulation will improve and you can help reduce your risk of developing or worsening venous disease.

Take Your Coffee Break To Go

Taking a coffee or water break? Don’t sit down right away; take it to go and walk around. Flex your calves, walk around the room or around the block, and improve your circulation and symptoms of venous disease. Don’t like to go cups that increase trash? Buy a travel mug and use it often.

Park Farther Away

Have you ever noticed that, even at the local gym, people try to find the parking space closest to the entrance? Make a habit of parking farther away from the entrance and get a little extra walking into your routine to reduce the risk of venous disease. Parking farther away is also better for your gas mileage (less gas burned looking for the perfect spot), your brakes (less stopping for pedestrians and cars pulling out), and your paint job (fewer drivers nearby to accidentally bump into your car). What’s not to like about this idea?

Go Mobile With Email And Social Media

Are you constantly checking emails and social media feeds? Get up and walk around while you do it. Download the apps to your phone and go for a walk while you read and respond to messages. You’ll increase your circulation, improve your overall health, and reduce the risk of venous disease. Just be mindful of safety and your surroundings. Avoid roads and crowded areas to prevent injuries. If possible, use a treadmill or walk around the room.

What If You Can’t Get Up?