Back to School: Balancing Active Kids' Schedules and Your Vein Health
As a parent, grandparent, or guardian, it's important to understand why taking good care of your health is important for both yourself and your kids. If you are not in perfect health, you may not have the energy and patience to be a healthy and productive part of your kids' lives.
This includes all facets of your health including your vein health. With kids returning to school and many after-school activities picking back up, it’s important to adequately manage your vein health to keep up.
In this blog we’ll be discussing some of the several things you can do to properly balance your vein health with your school/after-school-related obligations.
Wearing the Right Things
The shoes, stockings, and leggings you choose to wear can have a significant impact on your vein health. High heels are not a healthy choice when it comes to your veins, as they disrupt the compression/expansion balance of your calf muscles and negatively impact the blood flow in the veins that are already vulnerable to varicose veins.
Sensible shoe choices that offer better arch support can have the opposite effect. You can compound that by also making compression stockings part of your ensemble. They are available in a comprehensive enough range of colors and patterns that you may not have any problem matching them with your shoes, skirts, trousers, etc., in any season.
Exercises and Rest
Both exercising and giving adequate rest to your legs, especially the lower parts, are important for vein health. You can squeeze in 5-minute/10-minute exercise "sessions" in your busy schedule to improve your vein health. This may include stretching before you leave to pick up your kids, particularly lunges and calf raises (between 10 and 20). You can also lie down, stretch your legs outward, and flex your toes.
You can also opt for more walking and less driving when joining your kids for after-school activities. If you are sitting and waiting for them, you can do desk exercises like ankle circles (both feet, both directions), flexing your feet (one at a time) while sitting, and if you have the space, stretch your legs forward to encourage blood flow from your thigh to your lower legs.
Resting and elevating your feet, especially when you have been on them all day, is also important. Ideally, you should lie down and elevate your feet by placing them on a pillow or a sturdier structure. This facilitates better blood flow, especially back to your heart, because this time, the gravity is working in your favor instead of when you are standing on your feet, and the veins in your feet have to work extra to get the blood back to your heart (Against gravity).
Diet, Hydration, and Monitoring
Make sure you always remain hydrated. It keeps the blood at the right viscosity level, allowing for easier blood flow through the veins.
Vein problems like varicose veins may take years to develop and are difficult to identify unless there are physiological symptoms or you are keeping an eye out for the relevant signs. Early signs may include skin discoloration, visible varicose veins, and swelling, accompanied by pain.
Conclusion
Taking care of your vein health may go a long way towards the prevention of major vein issues of the development of any major health issues. So, in a way, vein health is tied to their well-being as well. Make sure to keep it a priority and don't feel guilty about setting aside a bit of "me time."
At The Vein Specialists we are experienced in helping you develop the best vein health management plan that can seamlessly integrate into your busy life. Visit us online at www.ilveins.com or call us at 309-862-4000 to schedule a free vein screening.
