Are you looking for ways to keep your legs healthy and feeling great?
Raising your legs and feet is one of the simplest ways to improve circulation, relieve swelling or inflammation, help ease discomfort, and prevent the worsening of varicose veins. Lifting your legs can also decrease pressure on your back and lower your risk for circulatory problems, combating the negative effects of sitting for long periods.
Whether you’re noticing signs of poor circulation in your legs or simply want to counteract the impact of sitting or standing, read on to discover the health benefits of elevating your legs and helpful tips for doing it right.
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What Does Elevating Your Legs Do?
Raising your legs and feet above your heart helps blood circulate more easily and keeps your legs healthier by:
- Reduce the pooling of blood in your lower limbs
- Reduce the amount of fluid in tissues
- Reduce stress on the heart
Elevating your legs can feel like a sigh of relief. It takes the pressure off your veins, allowing blood to flow back to your heart more easily and allowing your legs, feet, and veins to relax.
Six Benefits of Elevated Legs
So, what are the benefits of raising your legs?
Here are six good reasons to spend a few minutes daily with your legs elevated:
1. Improves Blood Circulation
When standing or sitting, leg veins have to work against gravity. The tiny valves inside the veins and leg muscles work hard to move blood back to the heart, recirculating freshly oxygenated blood throughout the body.
Elevating your legs allows blood to circulate easily because your body works with gravity instead of against it. This increases the movement of oxygen-rich blood to the limbs and boosts circulation.
2. Reduces Swelling and Inflammation
Elevating your legs helps excess fluid drain away and blood flow more easily. This can significantly reduce swelling or inflammation caused by fluid build-up due to injury, health conditions, or even water retention during pregnancy or hot weather.
The benefits extend beyond reducing puffiness. It helps with discomfort, swelling, and even the appearance of varicose veins.
3. Relief from Varicose Vein Discomfort
One of the biggest benefits of elevating your legs is symptom relief for people with varicose veins.
The root cause of varicose veins is damaged vein valves. These valves are one-way doors, moving blood in one direction — back to the heart. But when they become weakened, inflamed, or damaged in any other way, blood flows backward, pools in the legs, and varicose veins start to form.
This condition also leads to uncomfortable symptoms, including throbbing pain, swelling, and a feeling of heaviness in the legs.
Putting your feet up will ease those symptoms by taking pressure off your veins.
4. Decreased Pressure on the Lower Back
Elevating your legs with a pillow while lying in bed, resting, or sleeping takes the pressure off your spine, which can help ease lower back pain.
5. Faster Recovery After Exercise
Leg elevation helps drain excess fluid and increase circulation, and it can also feel good after exercise. A few minutes of raising your legs can help prevent swelling and speed up recovery by introducing new oxygenated blood to your muscles more quickly.
6. Prevention of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) can occur when a blood clot forms in a deep vein. If the clot becomes dislodged and travels through the bloodstream, it can become dangerous. A traveling clot can potentially block blood flow to the lungs.
Elevating your legs benefits your veins by easing pressure and helping blood flow more easily. This reduces your chances of developing a clot in a deep vein.
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Tips for Elevating Your Legs to Maximize the Health Benefits
Here are a few tips to make the most out of leg elevation time:
Raise your legs above your heart
- For the benefits of leg elevation, raise your legs above the level of the heart. You can elevate your legs against a wall, a yoga ball, firm pillows, or a special cushion designed for leg elevation.
Elevate your legs three to four times a day
- For best results, elevate your legs at least three times a day, for about 15 minutes each time (or about 10 minutes if you’re using a wall).¹
- You can do this in the morning after an early workout, in the middle of the day to break up periods of sitting, and at night before going to bed.
Make sure you are comfortable
- You should feel relaxed and comfortable. Use a cushion to rest your legs if you’re using a hard surface. Also, ensure your neck and back are properly supported with pillows or a cushion.
- If you’re using the wall, lay a pillow under your head. Then, raise your legs and rest them against the wall, keeping them straight. This practice is often used in yoga.
- Be sure to remain in the pose for only five to 10 minutes so that no undue stress is put on your heels, knees, or spine.
Rotate your ankles and feet
- This is also a great time to do double duty and rotate your feet and ankles to help with circulation issues. You can also occasionally flex and release your calf and thigh muscles to promote blood circulation in your legs.
Elevate Your Legs and Your Vein Health
Raising your legs above your heart is a simple yet effective way to increase blood circulation and support your veins.
But if you are experiencing leg swelling, pain or varicose veins, don’t wait. Early diagnosis and treatment of vein disease can lead to better outcomes.
Our expert vein doctors can examine your legs to test for vein disease and recommend an effective, personalized treatment plan to help you regain comfort.
USA Vein Clinics is the nation’s leading network of vein treatment clinics. We’re staffed by expert vein specialists committed to helping our patients get back to enjoying their lives with safe and effective vein treatments. Schedule a vein screening at a clinic near you today.
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Medically Reviewed By:
Dr. Yan Katsnelson is a philanthropist, business owner, and highly skilled cardiac surgeon. He is the Founder and CEO of USA Vein Clinics, which is part of USA Clinics Group, the parent company of USA Fibroid Centers, USA Vascular Centers, and USA Oncology Centers, with more than 100 facilities nationwide. Dr. Yan has established himself as a strong advocate for accessibility and affordability of the most advanced medical care close to home. His mission is to create a positive experience for each patient with compassionate, personalized, and expert care.
