Media Center

Looking after your legs

Dr Sarah Jarvis looks at the importance of looking after your legs to avoid pain, discomfort and long-term problems

A third of women across Europe suffer from tired, achy, or swollen legs, so it’s not surprising that it’s a common complaint in my surgery. Women often correctly blame their leg pain on ‘bad circulation’ so they need to take action to improve their circulation.

Since blood in your legs has to move against gravity to reach your heart, good circulation needs a boost from the so-called venous pump. If you’re physically inactive or if you tend to sit with your legs crossed, the venous pump stops working properly. Blood pools in your leg veins, leading to swelling (oedema) and discomfort. Eventually your veins begin to stretch, lose their elasticity and turn into lumpy, blue varicose veins.

Many women don’t take steps to prevent these changes, probably due to the lack of easily available and credible information on leg health.

A new source of up-to-date information

The Antistax Leg Health Center is led by a panel of experts and designed to help you look after your legs. All the information the Center provides is screened by a group of leg care experts headed by expert scientist Dr Eckhard Schaefer.

A comprehensive website (www.leghealthcenter.com) offers up-to-date information on leg health and useful tips on adapting your daily routine to incorporate sitting exercises and standing leg stretches.

If you think you are at risk of developing leg health issues, or if you have aches and pains in your legs, take the short leg health test leghealthtest.com on the website to identify possible issues.

My top tips to ensure your legs stay fit and healthy:

1. Maintain a healthy diet – Eat plenty of vitamin-rich foods that are low in saturated fats and high in fibre.

2. Exercise regularly – A brisk daily walk will help develop toned legs and improve overall health.

3. Don’t stay still for too long – Try to stretch your legs regularly and take an occasional brief walk.

4. Stop smoking – Smoking damages your veins. Smokers are more likely to develop leg problems and have more severe symptoms.

5. Avoid tight clothing and high heels – Wear clothing that gives you freedom of movement and try wearing flat shoes when walking or commuting.

Treatments that can help your legs

If lifestyle changes alone don’t improve leg pain I usually recommend treatment. Compression stockings will improve your circulation, but if you don’t like wearing them I also recommend some natural products you can take as a tablet or capsule and some creams, cooling gels or cooling sprays. Some of these products contain bio-active flaven, which helps protect your blood vessel walls, relieves leg pain and improves circulation. Flaven is found in products like Antistax®.

Remember, early prevention and treatment will not only relieve your symptoms, but will give you toned healthy legs you’ll be happy to show off.

Download the complete version here.