At-Home Exercises for Varicose Veins

Simple At-Home Exercises for Varicose Veins in Boca Raton

All sorts of low-impact exercises can help you prevent and manage spider veins and varicose veins, but you don’t even have to leave your home to get a workout that promotes good circulation. Many simple activities can help you maintain healthy legs even if you only have a minute to spare, and fleshing out your exercise repertoire with a few more can be an asset during vein treatment.

To keep varicose veins and spider veins at bay, try exercises like:

Bicycle Kicks

Put a blanket or exercise mat on the ground and lie down with your face up. Lift both legs into the air and do a few scissor kicks, moving your legs as if pedaling a bicycle in midair. The motion of your elevated legs will promote blood flow back to your heart, circulating blood that may have pooled in your legs. You can do this for as long as you like, but the more time you keep your legs elevated, the more beneficial it will be.

Stair Step Heel Lifts

Simply walking on your tiptoes can stretch and engage your calf muscles, but to get an even better workout, you’ll need some stairs. Stand with your toes on the bottom step and let your heels hang off the edge, dangling below the step. Push yourself up onto your tiptoes and gently lower yourself back down, holding on to the wall or banister if you need a little support. Try doing this about 30 times or as long as feels comfortable to you.

Leg Flexes

Start on your back just like with bicycle kicks, but instead of lifting both legs at once, slowly bring one knee up to your chest and hold it there. Point the tip of your toe upward, then flex and release your foot, ankle, and calf muscles several times. Move on to the opposite leg and repeat for as long as you like, remembering again that longer periods of elevation will help you even more.

These exercises are safe and simple for most people, but remember to ask Dr. Schoenhaus if you’re concerned about their suitability for you. What other easy exercises do you do at home to help during varicose veins and spider veins treatments in Boca Raton? Tell us your favorites in the comments below!

Dr. Jason Gold, DPM, FACFAS

Dr. Jason Gold, DPM, FACFAS, is a podiatrist at the Foot, Ankle & Leg Vein Center in Boca Raton, FL, and Boynton Beach, FL. He has over 20 years of experience and specializes in foot and ankle conditions like bunions, fat pad atrophy, and sports medicine. Dr. Jason holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Maryland, College Park, and he earned his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine from Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine in Philadelphia. He's one of only 10 board-certified Reconstructive Foot & Ankle Surgeons in Palm Beach County. Dr. Gold has been featured in highly authoritative publications like HuffPost, PureWow, and Yahoo!

Dr. Jodi Schoenhaus , DPM - Podiatrist in Boca Raton, FL

Dr. Jodi Schoenhaus DPM, RPhs, FACFAS

Dr. Jodi Schoenhaus, DPM, RPhs, FACFAS, is a podiatrist at the Foot, Ankle & Leg Vein Center in Boca Raton, FL, and Boynton Beach, FL. She has over 20 years of experience and specializes in foot, ankle, and leg vein conditions like spider and varicose veins and sclerotherapy. Dr. Jodi holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan, and she earned his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine from Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine in Philadelphia. Dr. Schoenhaus has performed FDA-approved research and has been published in the National Library of Medicine and PubMed. Dr. Jodi has been featured in highly authoritative publications like Cosmopolitan, Lifehacker, Parade, New York Post, and Yahoo!, among others.