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Working remotely is quite common now and overall has been a welcome adjustment in the workplace. However, it has some drawbacks including an increased amount of time being stationary. Less steps means less exercise which can impact the circulation of blood in our legs.

We need to establish healthy work habits to keep our physical fitness up to par. For our vascular health, that can mean getting in the necessary steps, finding time for scheduled breaks to exercise our legs and eating healthy.

Here are some quick and simple steps we can all take advantage of at home while working.

Make Sure You are Moving
Veins are muscles and need the same exercise as any other muscle in our body. Within our legs, this task is important to keep blood circulating against gravity. And it’s simple as making sure we are moving. Immobility causes stagnation and pooling of blood. At it’s worst, it can be associated with swelling and even blood clots. More likely, its going to put a lot of stress on our leg veins and lead to cramping, fatigue and leg pain. The pressure that builds up from blood pooling is what eventually leads to the development of varicose veins. With stationary work places like the home, the risk is even more present.

Tip #1

Invest in a Step Tracker that serve as a useful reminder to keep your feet moving. Establish your daily goals and meet them each day.  

Take Your Time
It’s easy to get into a certain mindset at home to complete your tasks in one focused session. However, it’s also an easy way to forget taking usual breaks. At the office, it’s common to be moving between offices to discuss information with a colleague or meet a client. At home, these common tasks are generally all done in the same spot.  

Tip # 2

Schedule yourself regular breaks to make sure you are not sitting in one place for more than 45 minutes to an hour. It can be simple as walking to the kitchen for some water or coffee.

Use a Standing Desk
Besides posture improvement, having a standing desk is associated with more activity around the work space. You can even invest in desks that can be used with treadmills, both standing or sitting.

Tip #3

Having a standing desk will encourage you to move more. We still want to make sure we are not stationary for long periods of time.

Elevate Your Legs.

Raising your legs above the level of your heart helps release the pressure built up inside. It’s using gravity to your advantage and allows our dilated veins to return to their normal size.

Tip #4

Place a chair or ottoman beneath your desk to raise the level of your feet from the ground. During scheduled work breaks, see if you can grab a few moments to lift your legs up against the wall and pump your calves for 3 sets of 10. Time invested 5 minutes.

Compression Stockings

Graded compression stockings facilitate the blood from your lower legs back to your heart. Using compression between 20-30 mmHg if associated with decreased syptoms of varicose veins, improvement in leg swelling, and improved comfort from leg pain.

Tip #5

Customized stockings fitted by your vein specialists are associated with improved comfort and compliance.

Final Thoughts
Work from home is a unique opportunity to take advantage of completing work tasks efficiently and working on our personal lives. In the case of the latter, we need to make an investment into our physical health and build foundations that will allow us to work productively for a long period of time.

If you are suffering from symptoms of varicose veins, visit one our doctors at our 3 convenient New York locations including our premier vein clinic in NYC. We also have varicose vein treatment in Long Island and the Vein Treatment Center in Westchester County. To review all our vein centers in New York and learn about our vein specialists.

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