Can you not exercise if you have varicose veins? And if there are spider veins on your legs, is massage prohibited?

The price to pay for walking upright: how varicose veins work

Varicose veins are the expansion of varicose veins.

The veins in the legs are needed for the outflow of blood: blood flows through the arteries to the leg, through the veins - from the legs to the heart. My legs are always down, the blood has to flow against the force of gravity - up, it’s hard. The legs have the most unfavorable blood flow in the entire body.

“Genetically, a person is not yet fully adapted to walking upright, so there are weak points in the body,” explains Dmitry Averyanov. Every third woman and every fifth man initially has weak spots in the veins of the legs. During life, the vein in these places expands due to stress: for some from pregnancy, for others from lifting heavy objects or being overweight. There can be many reasons, but the root cause is weakness of the venous wall.

Veins have valves that facilitate the upward movement of blood. When the vein dilates, these valves stop closing and the vein cannot hold blood.

The blood partially begins to flow back down. “The leg is always like an unfinished bottle - there is always residual venous blood in it,” notes Dmitry Averyanov. This causes the unpleasant symptoms characteristic of varicose veins: heaviness in the legs, swelling, fatigue, bulging veins.

At the same time, there are a lot of veins in the legs: deep, muscular, subcutaneous, but varicose veins only affect the subcutaneous ones.

Spider veins/spider veins: what is it, is it dangerous and can creams help?

Capillary meshwork (reticular varicose veins) and stars (telangiectasia) are the expansion of small veins no more than 3 mm in diameter. This type of varicose veins can occur as a concomitant of varicose veins, or independently. Such “stars” can appear not only on the legs, but also on the face, chest and other places. The causes of reticular varicose veins are unknown. Unlike varicose veins, this is not a disease. Reticular varicose veins are only an aesthetic problem, like wrinkles and gray hair - there are no negative consequences for the body.

If “varicose veins” are a consequence of varicose veins, then to prevent its occurrence it is necessary to treat varicose veins. If the “stars” arose on their own, then treatment or prevention is not required. However, if a person is aesthetically unsatisfied with the presence of a vascular pattern, it can be removed.

Bath and massage: with a “mesh” it’s possible, but with varicose veins it’s not worth it

It is believed that massage and visiting the bathhouse/sauna are prohibited for varicose veins. If we are not talking about varicose veins, but specifically reticular varicose veins, then there are no such restrictions - you can go to a massage or a sauna. However, for some skin types, massage can actually trigger the appearance of additional spider veins (but not in all people). If spider veins are present not only on the legs, but also under the breasts, on the buttocks - that is, in places of pressure and trauma - forceful massage should not be used, because it can provoke the appearance of additional "stars". But not everyone has this reaction.

Massage in the case of varicose veins can cause thrombosis (formation of blood clots in a vein - thrombi) and thrombophlebitis (inflammation of the walls of the veins), because the venous outflow is impaired and the wall changes greatly during expansion. Therefore, if a diagnosis of varicose veins is established, then a power massage on the leg where there are varicose veins is contraindicated - but a weak lymphatic drainage massage is acceptable.

Tips for a safe and productive workout

• Don't forget about warming up. Jumping rope training puts a lot of stress on your joints, so properly preparing your body for jumping is extremely important.
• As you push off, touch your toes to keep your feet tense.
• Keep your arms bent at a 90° angle and note that you need to rotate the rope using the movements of the hand, not the shoulder. Elbows should remain at waist level.
• Land not on your full foot, but on your toes and soften your knees so as not to injure the ligaments.
• Make sure your abs are tense and your back remains straight. Do not raise your shoulders or tighten your neck muscles.
• Don't forget about breathing. Breathe through your nose evenly, without delay.

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You can play sports if you have varicose veins. And even necessary

80% of cases of detected varicose veins are the second stage of the disease, when not only the veins bulge out, but there are also symptoms: swelling, heaviness in the legs, legs get tired and hurt. These symptoms mainly appear when a person sits or stands in one position for a long time. When playing sports, there are usually no such sensations. On the contrary, running, squats, even strength exercises on the legs are good for the veins - they all improve venous outflow. Sports games - volleyball, football - also relieve varicose veins in the legs.

The only sports activity that worsens venous outflow is lifting weights, and more specifically, a barbell heavier than a person’s own weight. Injuries can also be dangerous (impacts to the leg can cause thrombosis) and some static postures (for example, static positions in a squat and half-squat). And everything related to movement is good for veins, even regular walking. Exercises for the mobility of the foot, leg, and calf muscles are especially useful - there are veins that are well involved in the outflow. Standing and sitting are bad for veins, but walking and lying are good.

Varicose veins are also common among athletes. But if a person is active, then he tolerates the disease more easily. Athletes with varicose veins seek help later than others because their symptoms are partially compensated by training. However, this does not mean that athletes do not need to treat existing varicose veins.

Why are jump rope exercises effective?

Not only is jumping rope one of the most energy-intensive workouts and great for weight loss, but it also improves blood circulation, speeds up metabolism and increases endurance. This workout uses almost all muscle groups, including the ankle muscles, which are not often involved in other exercises.

Photo: istockphoto.com

Strengthening the muscles of the foot and Achilles is very important to avoid injury when playing various sports. For example, skiing, figure skating, tennis and even running. In addition, jumping develops coordination and balance, which allows for better body control. Another advantage of the jump rope is its lightness: it is convenient to take it with you for outdoor activities and when traveling.

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What cannot cure varicose veins: pills, creams and stockings

To alleviate the negative symptoms of varicose veins, compression hosiery is used: these are socks, stockings or tights that create pressure on the legs to improve blood flow. Knitwear is used more often for static positions (if you need to sit in an office, stand at a counter or behind a pulpit), and during sports, blood flow improves due to movement, so you can exercise without compression garments.

Most often, advertisements offer creams as a treatment for varicose veins. They won't help. The cause of varicose veins is not clear, and there is not a single drug with a proven effect - preventive or therapeutic. Therefore, none of the creams that are sold “for varicose veins” have proven effectiveness.

Venotonics/phlebotonics tablets will also not help “remove” varicose veins and will not make the veins that bulge out due to varicose veins disappear. All phlebotonics, when used for varicose veins, are exclusively symptomatic drugs; they alleviate or remove symptoms, but do not improve or prevent anything. Phlebotonics are also indicated if there is no varicose veins, but there is heaviness and swelling in the legs. If you have varicose veins, but you don’t want to have surgery, phlebotonics are also indicated to relieve symptoms.

The only treatment is surgery: is it possible to do without incisions?

Varicose veins are a disease that can only be treated radically - surgically. There are many types of operations: using a laser (sealing veins), sclerotherapy (a special drug is injected into the vein, as a result it “sticks together”), phlebectomy (classic operation - removal of veins from incisions), miniphlebectomy (removal without incisions, through punctures - minimally invasive method).

Traditionally, these operations are performed under local anesthesia. As a rule, they are so minimally invasive that you can get up and walk immediately after returning from the operating room. This is done to prevent a rare but dangerous complication - deep vein thrombosis. If the patient wishes or is afraid, it is permissible to use general anesthesia for a short period of time. On average, the operation lasts half an hour. After the intervention, there are no stitches left (except for a variant of the classical operation, which is now practically not used) - only temporary bruises.

Modern treatment methods allow you to start training at any intensity already 3-4 days after surgery. And already a month after the operation, you can again engage in those sports that are not recommended for varicose veins - for example, lifting weights.

There is an opinion that after surgery and sealing of some veins, over time the neighboring ones will inevitably begin to expand. However, the average relapse rate is 15%. That is, only 15% of those operated on will experience a relapse during the rest of their lives. Therefore, all patients with varicose veins, even after surgery, are recommended to visit a phlebologist once a year.

How to jump rope correctly to lose weight?

The jump rope, known to us since childhood, is also an inexpensive and effective cardio exercise machine. Today we will tell you how to exercise it correctly and give a table of jumping rope for weight loss.

Is it possible to lose weight by jumping rope?

Of course it is possible. Jumping is a cardio workout, and a very intense one at that: 15 minutes of energy consumption is equivalent to 30 minutes of jogging. But here lies the catch. Such an intense load is not suitable for beginners, those with low endurance, and people with a lot of weight. With poor physical fitness, you simply will not be able to jump for the time needed to burn fat. If you are overweight (when your body mass index is above 25), there is too much stress on your spine, knees, and ankles.

But for keeping yourself in good shape and polishing your figure to perfection, a jump rope is a godsend. It’s not for nothing that professional boxers, for example, use it to dry themselves off for competitions. Jump rope training is now beautifully called “skipping” (from the English skip - jump). Jumping burns approximately 7.7 kcal per 1 kg of your weight per hour. But people who are losing weight usually don’t jump for an hour; they also need to do strength exercises. Therefore, for convenience, we will calculate calories for the time that people are actually willing to spend on skipping.

Calorie consumption table: losing weight with a jump rope

The benefits of jumping rope for weight loss

Pay attention to the bonuses that you will receive from regular jump rope training.

· General physical development and strengthening of the muscles of the whole body

. To jump, a person uses almost all muscle groups: hips, buttocks, abs, back, shoulders, arms. During landing, the muscles of the legs, buttocks, back and deep core muscles work as natural shock absorbers, taking on the shock load. This makes them stronger. But this is precisely why you can’t do jumping without first pumping up your muscles for at least a month! With undeveloped muscles, articular cartilage, which is not designed for this, will absorb shock.

· Increases endurance and strengthens the cardiovascular system

. The heart and blood vessels get used to working intensively for some time, and this increases their safety margin at rest. The more you exercise, the longer your heart system can bear the load at a lower cost.

· Fat Burning

. We have already said that skipping is a great way to lose the remaining 2-5 kg, get lean, and show muscle definition.

· Improved coordination

. Jumping trains well balance, coordination and balance of the body, and develops neuromuscular connections. After them, a person moves more deftly and harmoniously in everyday life, does not fall, slipping on a slippery floor, and so on.

How to choose jumping ropes for weight loss?

We recommend that you first buy a simple jump rope: two handles and a cord between them, adjustable in length. Handle material: wood or neoprene. You can use plain plastic, but it slips when your hands get sweaty. Any cord - rubber, PVC or rope. It’s convenient to have a jump counter in the handle. It can be mechanical or electronic; which one to choose is purely a matter of taste and budget.

Speed ​​jump ropes spin faster because the handles have bearings. The load on them is higher, so this is a simulator for those who are trained. He is loved by CrossFit fans and boxers.

Weighted jump ropes have weights in the handles. They are usually used by wrestlers, bodybuilders and other professional athletes.

A fun new product - an electronic wireless jump rope. These are handles without a connecting cord, but with small balls on short ropes. You jump like on a regular jump rope, the balls spin and due to them the display on the handles shows the number of jumps. The gadget is convenient if you need to jump in a room where there is a risk of catching the rope on the furniture. In addition, in this case you will not hit your legs with the cord. At first it’s unusual and coordination training is not so good, but for those who only train at home, for example, while sitting with a child, this is an excellent option.

Contraindications

Skipping is not recommended:

— for pressure surges, headaches, including those caused by the weather;

- for diseases of the joints, intervertebral discs;

- within 2 months after birth;

- with vegetative-vascular dystonia, constantly elevated blood pressure;

- varicose veins;

— progressive myopia, chronic otitis media;

- with prolapse of the pelvic organs and kidneys.

How long do you need to jump rope to lose weight?

If you are a beginner, start skipping for 5 minutes in the morning and evening every other day (that is, you jump 2 times a day, rest a day). This is necessary to accustom the musculoskeletal system to intense stress. Gradually - over 2-3 weeks - move to 10-15 minutes of jumping once a day, also every other day. Then increase the skipping time by 5 minutes every week until you reach 30-35 minutes. It is better to jump after strength training or on a separate day. You can also include 10 minutes of circuit training as the first or last exercise of the circuit.

For convenience, we have compiled for you a table of the approximate number of jumps by day.

A more interesting option is not just to increase the number of jumps, but to jump in different ways. For example, now on one leg, now on the other, with a half-turn, and so on. Here is a sample table for those who are ready for advanced skipping

Now you know how and how much you need to jump rope to lose weight.