Vein Health: 1 in 4 Americans Don’t Get Enough Physical Activity
Author: StrideCare Internal Team
Sarah* loves being an accountant. The problem is that she sits in an office chair for 10-12 hours each day and rarely moves from that spot. She doesn’t mind exercising, but by the time she gets home, she’s too exhausted and would rather watch television for a little bit before going to bed. Sound familiar? While this scenario is easy to relate to, the harsh reality is that the lack of physical activity in your life can negatively impact your overall health—especially vein health.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 4 Americans don’t get enough physical activity. In other words, they spend too much time sitting and not enough time doing things like exercising, gardening, running, or walking. As a result, it’s not unsurprising to see that an average of one in every three adults over the age of 45 develops some form of vein disease, which can range from simple cosmetic annoyances such as spider veins to painful varicose veins and any of the following conditions:
- Chronic venous insufficiency
- Deep vein thrombosis (blood clots)
- Chronic pelvic pain
- Pelvic congestion syndrome
- Leg discomfort when sitting or standing
- Skin ulcers or leg sores
- Burning, throbbing, itchy legs
The steps to improving your vein health often start by making physical activity more of a priority in your daily life. When you’re moving around, blood flow increases throughout your body and in the veins of your lower extremities. Conversely, inactivity limits blood flow through the veins and can lead to a variety of symptoms
Are You Experiencing These Symptoms of Poor Vein Health?
- Swollen feet and ankles
- Cramping
- Restless legs, especially at night
- Throbbing, heavy, and achy legs
- Painful or unsightly varicose veins and spider veins
- Chronic pelvic pain
- Discomfort after sitting or standing for too long
- Pain when walking
- Blood clots
The Importance of Physical Activity and Vein Health
All of us could stand to have more physical activity in our lives. The problem is that we often don’t think about it as we get locked in on whatever is going on in daily life—taking kids to and from school and events, commutes to and from work, long hours at the office for jobs such as receptionists, accountants customer service, etc., addictions to social media, and simply wanting to take a load off to unwind after being pulled in 10 directions all day long. As a result, most research suggests that Americans sit for an average of almost 10 hours each day. That means we are spending almost half of our days sitting.
It can be overwhelming to think about adding some physical activity to our daily lives. But in all honesty, physical activity doesn’t have to come in the form of running a marathon every day or hitting the free weights section of the gym for a couple of hours after work. Even short periods of physical activity such as a walk around the block at night after work or pulling weeds in the front yard on weekends has immeasurable benefits on our overall health.
- Limiting weight gain
- Reducing feelings of anxiety
- Improving sleep quality
- Reducing risk of chronic diseases
Item No. 4 on this list includes heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and poor vein health. But surprisingly, vein disease and the dangers that can arise from it is a foreign topic for many people. After all, we don’t think about our veins when we’re young because 1) we can’t see them, and 2) they’re usually working just fine. The veins are the highway system in the body through which blood is transported to your arteries and your vital organs. But as we age, the valves in our veins may weaken and can be affected by life choices such as diet, excess weight, smoking, and a lack of physical activity. As a result, they don’t work like they once did.
The good news for Sarah and so many people just like her is that vein health is treatable and can improve with treatment and the right amount of physical activity.
Tips to Increase Physical Activity and Improve Vein Health
- Exercise — The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (running, walking, jogging, weight training, etc.) and to increase that gradually over time.
- Move around more — Moving around on the job promotes increased blood flow throughout your body and in the veins in your lower extremities. Even if you’re stuck at work for longer stretches, an easy fix is to get up every 30 minutes and walk around to get blood pumping. You may also find that you’re more productive after short breaks.
- Stretch — Stretching is great for improving flexibility, but it also helps improve circulation. Most people don’t think of that as an inherent benefit, especially for their legs, feet, and calves.
- Be more active at home — Another great way to increase physical activity and improve vein health is to limit how much you lounge on the couch or sit. Walk up and down the stairs at home, do some chores, etc.
- Wear compression stockings — Compression socks for vein health are a great conservative treatment option, as they support your legs by applying gentle pressure. This helps with circulation, swelling, and painful legs during long work shifts, plane flights, and other long bouts of limited physical activity.
- Consider a standing workstation — Many people these days are transitioning to mobile and standing desk solutions at work that allows them to avoid sitting for too long but still get work done.
StrideCare Wants to Be Your Vein Health Specialist
It’s important to seek help from the right vein health center with a team of professionals that can guide you on your next steps. StrideCare has long been a leader in performing leading-edge procedures to treat a variety of vein diseases—all while providing compassionate patient care. The vascular physicians at StrideCare are board-certified diagnostic radiologists with additional fellowship training in vascular and interventional radiology.
Prior to starting any new treatment or questions regarding a medical condition, always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
StrideCare serves the South Texas area including Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Round Rock, Bastrop, Brushy Creek, Cedar Park, Converse, Georgetown, Hutto, Kyle, Leander, Marble Falls, New Braunfels, Pasadena, Pearland, Pflugerville, San Marcos, Schertz, Houston, Sugar Land, Katy, Webster, Bay City, Clear Lake, Lake Jackson, The Woodlands, Universal City, Spring, Kingwood, Stafford, Conroe, Texas City, Cypress, League City, Bellaire, and more.
*Patient stories are true. Names and/or photos may be changed to protect patient confidentiality.
