Healthy Home Exercises for Your Legs

By Nadene Weil, Director of Patient & Physician Relations

Vascular Vein Centers is considered an essential medical practice and as such continues to remain open to serve our patients. We want to do all we can to ensure you are able to maintain healthy legs at home.

Healthy at Home Exercises for Your Legs

There are various foot and leg exercises to enhance leg circulation and venous return from the legs. A few are explained here and can be done while at home with just a chair, mat or rug. You can repeat each of these exercises during each session as many times as you like but its OK to begin with just a few of each. Our healthcare providers are available to discuss what’s best for you during any visit so don’t hesitate to call Vascular Vein Centers at to schedule an initial evaluation at one of our convenient locations or TELEHEALTH encounter today. TELEHEALTH appointments accomplished via telephone or video conferencing. Make sure to ask when you call so we can accommodate you.

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Exercise with a Chair

• While seated in a chair with your back secure against the backrest, extend one leg at a time so your leg is more straight than bent and your heel is slightly off the ground. With the extended leg, dorsiflex by extending your toes to point out in front of you. Then return your toes to point toward the ceiling if you can. This back and forth motion of your foot will surprise you as to how it may feel at first but you will loosen up in just a few sessions! This motion can cause your calf muscle to “pump” blood and fluid from the lower leg where it can accumulate and feel full or even swollen.
• If you can, stand with your hands on the back of a chair for safe-support. The height of the chair-back should be at least waist high. While doing so, try slowly raising up on the balls of your feet (front of your feet) and lowering slowly. This too will help “pump” blood from your lower extremities.

Exercise with a Mat or On the Floor

If you have a place to lay on a mat or carpet you can include:

• Try some simple leg stretches laying on a rug or mat with your knees bent pointed upward or out to the side. Slowly extend one leg at a time so your knee is more straight than bent and toe of the extended leg is pointed upward toward ceiling. Then return that leg to a bent-knee position. Switch legs so you can do the same with the other leg. This exercise can also be done in a chair.
• While lying down with your back flat and bottom secure on a mat or carpet, slowly bend both of your knees so they are together and your feet are flat. Then while keeping both of your knees together, slowly move your legs side to side from right to left like a windshield wiper. Go as far as you feel comfortable in each direction. This is a good way to loosen up your hip muscles and help you feel relaxed
• Don’t forget to relax your shoulders and neck since stress from various factors is often built up in this area. Lying flat and slowly moving your head from side to side can help as can lowing your chin toward your chest and then slightly upward. A slow shoulder shrug can be added or rolling your shoulders while just letting your mind clear is a good way to relax. As you finish just lay there with a few slow deep-belly breaths before you go back to the news, the kids, grandkids, work or whatever is next for you.

Elevate Your Legs

When resting while sitting or even lying down in bed, we recommend you elevate your legs whenever possible. Whether you sit in a recliner, lay on the couch or you use a foot stool, elevating your legs will help blood and other fluid move from your lower legs, lessening pressure in your lower extremities and to help with blood flow.

Stay Positive- Better Days Are on Their Way

Take this time to rest and relax. Share a positive and encouraging message with a friend or family member.

“Each day provides its own gifts.” —Marcus Aurelius

COVID-19 UPDATE

Our Safety and Disinfecting Precautions

To keep both you and our staff safe, we have implemented extra safety measures:

• Screening Questions: We will ask you a few questions to ensure the safety of you and our staff members before your encounter.
• Reduced Waiting Room Time: You'll go from your car to an exam room with little wait time.
• Increased Disinfecting: Throughout the day, we are constantly disinfecting our common areas and high-touchpoint areas.
• Revised Visitor Policy: At this time, it is best for everyone's safety that we do not allow non-patient visitors in our offices. (Exceptions allowed for patients who need assistance.)

Concentrating Our Safety Efforts to 5 Convenient Locations

Our Lake Mary and Waterford Lakes medical teams are now seeing patients at some of our other locations that are close by so that we can concentrate safety and sterilization procedures in fewer spaces. We will see you in one of our other 5 convenient offices; College Park, Kissimmee, The Villages, Davenport and Viera.

Visitor Policy

At this time, we are only allowing a patient visitor for physical or emotional needs. In some cases, we may ask the patient or visitor to wait outside during the patient appointment. Visitors are required to answer screening questions upon entry.

Visit our Facebook page and Google listings for updates.

If you have a fever greater than 100.4 or symptoms of a respiratory illness, please call us to reschedule your appointment:

Toll free: (877) 244-8558

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For most recent updates:

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

FLORIDA'S COVID-19 DATA & SURVEILLANCE DASHBOARD

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL & PREVENTION

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION