While women and men both want to have healthy legs, women seem to focus more on the healthy “look” as opposed to a real concern for how those legs feel. They surely don’t want a road map to China drawn with puffy purple varicose veins. There are things we can do, both men and women to keep those veins in our legs healthy. Besides eating a heart healthy diet which encourages good circulation we can also supplement our diets with a powerful antioxidant which keeps free radicals from forming plaque. There are also a few techniques that we can employ throughout the day to keep the circulation flowing.

If you sit for any length of time, don’t cross your legs and take periodic breaks to get the blood flowing again. Don’t wear clothing that is tight enough to cut off circulation but DO wear good support hose or stockings. Ladies, it is encouraged that you don’t wear high heels because low-heeled shoes allow you to work the veins in calf muscles more efficiently.

When you bathe, avoid hot water. It is best to use warm water which encourages circulation and then a splash of cold water just before you exit the tub. And since it is encouraged that we elevate our feet above heart level several times throughout the day, bath time is an ideal time to accomplish this. Simply elevate lie back and relax. Place your feet up on the rim of the tub and enjoy the peace and quiet. It may be the only peace you get in the day so use it wisely.

Take care of those veins so that they can efficiently keep blood flowing to the feet. You will reduce the potential for painful swollen feet and they will serve you better for years to come.