Poor blood circulation can cause annoying spider veins and varicose veins. It can also be the cause of serious complications such as thrombosis. Dr. Muñoz Vicèn proposes some measures to stimulate blood flow, including massages, cold showers and physical exercise.
– Massage: Sitting and, with both hands, surround the ankle and rub upwards, pressing lightly on the calf, knee and thigh until reaching the groin. The massage should be done with an ointment or gel. – Cold showers: A good tip is to end the shower with cold water. – Physical exercises: There are different exercises that, if performed, help stimulate blood circulation. Some of these exercises are the following:
- In stretched position. One of the exercises that can be done in this position is to raise the straight legs and spread them symmetrically apart and close them again. This should be repeated 10 to 15 times. Another exercise is to perform the bicycle movement with the legs, also 10 to 15 times.
- In standing position. Wiggling your toes while your legs are straight helps improve circulation. Another exercise is to lift the legs and make twisting movements in both directions.
- In a seated position. It is convenient to make twisting movements of the feet and flex and stretch the ankles.